Proximate Composition of Rind and Seed Of Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L)

Abstract:

Citrullus lanatus belongs to the Cucurbitaceae family and consists of four species are C. locynthis, C. ecirrhosus, C. lanatus and C. rehmii. Water melon plant is a trailing hairy annual plant with rough angular stems and dark green alternate leaves carried on fairly long petioles. Water are monoecious and unisexual with pale yellow flowers. The fruit is large and round or oblong with a hard-smooth rind with a size normally ranging from 1.5 to 15 kg. Citrullus lanatus have found to rich in vitamin, antioxidant and minerals. Therefore the aim of this work is to determine Proximate Composition of the rind and seed of watermelon Citrullus lanatus l. four samples of Citrullus lanatus were collected, identified as Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, farm, Cecce, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University main gate and Gidan gwari farm then were washed with distilled water to remove sand particles, followed by slicing to separate the rind using a clean knife. The rind will be chopped into tiny cubes. The seeds will be carefully removed from the pulp and washed. The rind was sun dried for two days followed by oven drying at 50°C for 24 hours. The dried samples will be ground using ceramic pestle and mortar. Finally, the powdered sample was used for all the analysis other than moisture in which fresh sample was used. The values for ash contents of the proximate constituent of seed and rind of watermelon were found in (cecce, IBBUL, IBBL main gate and Gidan gwari) farm ranged between 6.60±0.03, 5.10±0.06, 5.00±0.10 and 4.90±0.00 while rind are 0.25±0.02, 0.25±0.11, 0.20±0.06 and 0.30±0.01, moisture, crude fibre, crude fat, crude protein and carbohydrate ranged between 10.40±0.05, 11-00±0.04, 10.82±0.04 and 11-00±0.01 while 93.66±0.01, 94..00±0.00, 94.00±0.03 and 92.80±0.06, 42.80±0.01, 45.00±0.03, 44.30±012 and 43.00±0.13 while 0.21±0.00, 0.30±0.05, 0.23±0.02 and 0.26±0.02, 14.40±0.02, 13.90±0.05, 14.12±0.05 and 14.10±0.11 while 0.13±0.03, 0.10±0.02, 0.13±0.02 and 0.15±0.00, 7.70±0-04, 8.00±0.01, 7.08±0.07 and 7.50±0.03 while 0.55±0.01, 0.60±0.03, 0.58±0.00 and 0.80±0.02 and 18.10±0.01, 17.00±0.01, 18.70±0.11 and 19.50±0.03 while 5.22±0.02, 5.50±0.05, 5.86±0.01 and 5-69±0,02. The Citrullus lanatus contains nutrients and mineral elements that are essential for life. These Citrullus lanatus rind may provide considerable medicinal, health and economic benefits if freshly consumed or utilized in food products and also supplementing human nutrition requirements for normal growth and adequate protection against defects associated to the malnutrition.