Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
Nutritional, physicochemical and biochemical potentials of Indian cucurbit seed oils: a comparative study
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Singh Jyotsana, Singh Vinti, Kushwaha Radha, Kumar Sandeep, Rai A. K.
Research Articles | Published: 05 July, 2025
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Keywords: Pumpkin (Curcurbita maxima), Ash gourd (Benincasa hispida), Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), Muskmelon (Cucumis melo), Linoleic acid
Abstract
This study investigates the physicochemical and biochemical properties of seed oils derived from four Indian cucurbit species: pumpkin (Curcurbita maxima), ash gourd (Benincasa hispida), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), and muskmelon (Cucumis melo). The oils were extracted using a modified ISO 659 method, and their physical (e.g., refractive index, colour value, density) and chemical (e.g., acid value, peroxide value, saponification value) properties were evaluated. Fatty acid profiling was conducted by gas chromatography to quantify the compositions of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Linoleic acid was the most abundant fatty acid, ranging from 53.82% to 67.76%, indicating the oils nutritional potential. Muskmelon seed oil exhibited the highest unsaturated-to-saturated fatty acid ratio (3.60), whereas pumpkin seed oil had the highest saturated fatty acid content (29.84%). The results highlight these seed oils as viable options for edible applications due to their favourable nutritional and storage stability properties.
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