NUTRITIONAL STUDY ON THE SEEDS AND FRUITS OF THREE CUCURBITS IN SOUTH WESTERN NIGERIA

Abstract

A comparative study was carried out on the nutritional contents of the seeds and fruits of Cucumis melo (L.), Lagenaria breviflora (Benth) and Citrullus lanatus (Thunb). Proximate composition, Vitamin C content and phytochemical analysis of air-dried, powdered epicarp, mesocarp and seeds of the mature fruits were also carried out using standard procedures. Data on nutritional and phytochemical characteristics were collected and subjected to two - way analysis of variance (ANOVA) at p<0.05. Means were compared using LSD. Total sugar and vitamins C were detected in the other parts of the fruits except the seeds in the three Cucurbits. Percentage dry matter, fat, ash and crude protein were significantly (p<0.05) higher in the seeds than in the epicarp and mesocarp. Crude fibre was highest in the epicarp for C. melo (1.75 0.13), L. breviflora (1.85 0.07) and C. lanatus (2.18 0.07)