Characterisation of some nutritional constituents of melon ( Cucumis melo hybrid AF-522) seeds

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 68; no. 4; pp. 411 - 414
• Main Authors: de Melo, Maria Ladjane S, Narain, Narendra, Bora, Pushkar S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01.03.2000; Elsevier
• Subjects: Amino acid; Biological and medical sciences; Cucumis melo hybrid AF-522; Fatty acid; Food industries; Fruit and vegetable industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Melon; Oil; Seeds; Cucumis melo hybrid AF-522; Seeds; Oil; Amino acid; Fatty acid; Melon; Hybrid variety; Fruit; Nutritive value; Cucurbitaceae; Proximate analysis; Extraction oil; Vegetal oil; Fatty acids; Gas chromatography; Fruit crop; Dicotyledones; Aminoacid; Genetic improvement; Angiospermae; Analytical method; Spermatophyta; Cucumis melo
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/S0308-8146(99)00209-5

Seeds from a melon hybrid AF-522 largely cultivated in the northeast region of Brazil were analysed for their proximate composition. The seeds contained high percentages of lipids (30.8%) and proteins (14.9%). Hexane-extracted oil had acid, peroxide, iodine and saponification values of 2.06, 4.96, 111.8 and 210.6, respectively. Gas chromatographic analysis of the oil revealed the presence of 24 fatty acids varying from C 6 to C 24 with the exception of C 11, C 19, C 21 and C 23. The concentrations of individual fatty acids varied from trace quantities to about 64%. Linoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic acids were the principal fatty acids contributing to 64.1, 19.4, 9.5 and 4.9%, respectively, of the total fatty acids which had a relatively high percentage (84.4%) of unsaturated fatty acids. Seed proteins were rich in arginine, aspartic and glutamic acids while limiting amino acids were methionine and lysine.