Phytochemical Screening, Proximate and Vitamin Composition of Cucumismelo Seeds (Sweet Melon)

Abstract

The Cucumismelo seeds were analyzed for their proximate, vitamin and phytochemical compositions. The results of the phytochemical screening of the Cucumis melo seeds indicated the presence of alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, glycosides, steroids, terpenoids, saponins and Phenols. The quantitative analysis for total alkaloids, saponins and flavonoids contents shows Cucumis melo contained30.42% alkaloids, 5.69% flavonoids and 1.325% saponins. The proximate composition results showed that the mean nutritional content of the Cucumis melo seeds contained (3.85±0.02) moisture (3.30±0.01) ash, (10.55±0.01) crude fibre, (24.50±0.05) crude protein, (35.45±0.05) crude lipid, and (22.35±0.05) carbohydrates contents. It can be concluded from the present study that the seeds of Cucmis melo possess various phytochemicals which are known to have medicinal properties including anticancer, anti-malarial, anti-diuretic, anti-pyretic, antmicrobial, antifungal activities among others. The proximate analysis also shows that the seeds of Cucumis melo havehigh fibre, proteins and lipids contents. The ash content also indicates that the seeds of Cucumis melo contain some minerals. Also the seeds of C. melo revealed the presence of some vitamins such as vitamin A (15.13 mg/100g), C (16.36mg/100g), B1 (0.13 mg/100g), folic acid (0.043 mg/100g).Thus, Cucumis melo seeds can be used as food supplements.