Macronutrient composition of three cucurbit species cultivated for seed consumption in Cote d'Ivoire

• Published in: African journal of biotechnology 2007-03, Vol.6 (5), p.529-533
• Main Authors: Loukou, AL, Gnakri, D, Dje, Y, Kippre, A V, Malice, M, Baudoin, J-P, Bi, IAZ
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Arachis; Arachis hypogaea; Citrullus lanatus; Cucumis melo
• ISSN: 1684-5315; 1684-5315

Dry seeds from three indigenous cucurbits [Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (Thumb.) Matsum. & Nakai., Cucumeropsis mannii Naudin, and Cucumis melo var. agrestis L.] largely cultivated in Cote d'Ivoire and consumed as sauce thickeners were analyzed for their proximate composition and compared to a local landrace of peanut (Arachis hypogae L.). The protein contents were 29.23 plus or minus 1.74, 36 plus or minus 2.17, 29.55 plus or minus 2.09, and 24.79 plus or minus 0.44% for C. lanatus, C. mannii, C. melo, and A. hypo-gaea, respectively. The highest estimates of fat content was observed with C. lanatus (56.67 plus or minus 4.90%) followed in decreased order by the peanut (48.17 plus or minus 1.60%), C. mannii (45.89 plus or minus 4.73%), and C. melo (42.67 plus or minus 3.43%). The carbohydrate content for C. lanatus was 9.87 plus or minus 3.52% and C. mannii and C. melo had 13.86 plus or minus 3.64 and 23.18 plus or minus 4.80%, respectively. C. melo was then the highest in carbohydrate content whereas A. hypogaea has the lowest value (6.39 plus or minus 2.66%). The crude fibre contents for C. lanatus, C. mannii, and C. melo averaged 2.87 plus or minus 1.07, 2.30 plus or minus 0.85, and 2.94 plus or minus 0.75%, respectively. The three cucurbit species were markedly low in fibre value, compared to the analyzed peanut (17.14 plus or minus 3.82%). As expected on the basis of several published data, ash content of seeds from indigenous cucurbits was generally low: 1.33 plus or minus 0.52% (C. lanatus), 2.50 plus or minus 1.38% (C. mannii), and 1.67 plus or minus 0.82% (C. melo).