Original scientific paper
Nutrient composition of watermelon (Citrullis lanatus (Thunb.) Matsum.&Nakai) and egusi melon (Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad.) seeds
Olumuyiwa S. Falade
orcid.org/ORCID
; Department of Chemistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Israel O. Otemuyiwa
orcid.org/ORCID
; Department of Chemistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Abolanle S. Adekunle
orcid.org/ORCID
; Department of Chemistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Steve A. Adewusi
orcid.org/ORCID
; Department of Chemistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Olatunbosun Oluwasefunmi
orcid.org/ORCID
; Department of Chemistry, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Abstract
This study investigated the nutrient composition of the seeds of two cultivars of Citrullis lanatus ('Rhotmas' and 'Sugar Baby') and compared it with Citrullus colocynthis. The moisture content, ash, crude fiber, ether extract, crude protein and true protein ranged from 5.43 to 6.82, 2.78 to 3.72, 1.66 to 3.94, 55.7 to 58.7, 19.16 to 25.18 and 10.8 to 13%, respectively. The starch content, total sugar and reducing sugar varied between 143.7 and 172.7, 53.7 and 96.5, 5.6 and 9.5 mg/g, respectively. Iron, copper, zinc, calcium and magnesium ranged from 191 to 211, 20.12 to 35.03, 68.97 to 92.57, 98.79 to 233, and 79.75 to 123.9 mg/kg, respectively. Heavy metals (lead and cadmium) and antinutrients (phytate, oxalate and cyanide) were below deleterious levels. Arginine, glutamic acid and aspartic acids were the most abundant amino acids, whereas lysine was the limiting amino acid. It is concluded that watermelon seeds were better in nutritional value compared to egusi melon seeds and therefore could be regarded as a potential sources of food if exploited.
Keywords
amino acid; anti-nutrient; mineral; nutritive value; vitamins
Hrčak ID:
235770
URI
Publication date:
17.3.2020.
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