Proximate, Mineral and Anti-nutritional Compositions of Melon (Citrullus lanatus) Seeds

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this present study was to investigate the mineral, nutritional and anti-nutritional compositions of melon (Citrullus lanatus) seed flour. Methods: The proximate compositions were determined by soxhlet extraction, AOAC, Kjeldhal and other standard procedure 1,2 . Mineral contents were determined using Atomic Emission Spectrometry, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry and Vanado-molybdate method, while anti-nutrient determinations were carried out using standard procedures 3-5 . Results: The results obtained from proximate analysis were: moisture content (7.10%), ash content (2.70%), crude protein (30.63%), crude lipid (49.05%), crude fiber(6.00%), carbohydrate  (4.52%), dry matter (92.90%), organic matter (97.30%) and energy value (582.05Kcal/100g). The mineral analysis showed that iron have the highest value (144.70mg/100g), followed by manganese (22.73mg/100g), zinc (21.05mg/100g) and magnesium (20.46mg/100g), while calcium was the least (0.10mg/100g). The Na/K and Ca/P ratio were 0.043 and 0.002 respectively. The anti-nutritional factors analyzed were oxalate (26.40mg/100g), tannin (39.40mg/100g) and hydrocyanic acids (1.56mg/100g). Conclusion: The results of the study revealed that Citrullus lanatus seed flour is a good source of important nutrients such as fat, protein, fiber and minerals. The high contents of protein and fat make these seeds valuable dietary supplements especially for people in the rural areas where there are lack of adequate access to dairy foods and meats.