Minerals and phytochemical analysis of watermelon seeds (Citrullus Lanatus)

Description

Abstract Plants contain chemical constituents such as alkaloid, carbohydrate, steroid, terpenoid, saponin, cardiac glycoside, flavonoid, tannin, phenolic, waxes, essential oils, amino acids proteins etc. The presence or absence of some of these constituents has been found useful in the placement of plants in the taxonomic categories. Watermelon seed was studied for the presence or absence of these phytochemicals. Phytochemical screening of the ethanol extract of the seeds revealed that the seeds contain  Alkaloid, Saponin, Flavonoid, Cardiac glycoside, Carbohydrate, Steroid, Terpenoid, Tannin, Phenolic, and Anthraquinone some were detected and some were not detected in the watermelon seed chaff and while some were detected and some were not detected in the watermelon seed powder. The proximate composition of watermelon seed was carried out these sample seeds were obtained from discards of plants and prepared for use by decocting, drying and grinding into powder. Using ethanol, their moisture content was extracted, the ash content, crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, carbohydrate (CHO), energy value as well as the mineral contents were determined from the digested sample of the grinded watermelon seeds. This was used in determining the seeds chemical properties using Flame photometer, colorimeter and AAS (Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer). The minerals determined are K, Na, Ca, Mg, P. Their composition in mg/kg are, for chaff (0.12 ±0.00, 0.58± 0.00, 1.92± 0.00, 1.22± 0.00 and 0.31± 0.00) and while for powder (0.47± 0.00, 0.43± 0.00, 2.37± 0.00, 1.47± 0.00, and 0.19± 0.00) respectively. The Mn content of the seed is below the detectable limit of the method used in determining them.