Nutritional Evaluation of Calabash Gourd (Lagenaria Siceraria) Seeds and Oil

ABSTRACT

The nutritional, anti-nutritional contents of calabash gourd (Lagenaria siceraria) seed flour and some nutritional values of its oil were evaluated using standard analytical methods. The proximate analysis ranged from 3.9 (ash) – 46.2% (fat). Phosphorous (554 mg/100 g) was found to be the most abundant mineral in the seed flour. Anti-nutrients recorded for the seed flour were 10.2% (saponin), 0.794 (cyanide), 1.31 (tannin), 10.3 (oxalate) and 19.3 mg/100 g (Phytate). The amino acids composition of the seed flour ranged from 0.746 (methionine) – 18.6 g/100 g cp (glutamic acid). The total PUFA and the total SFA contents of the seed oil were 63.6% and 20.6% respectively. The total phospholipid content of the seed oil was 987 mg/100 g while the total sterol value was 257 mg/100 g. The seeds of calabash gourd could be utilized as an alternative source of stable vegetable oil, mineral elements and protein for culinary and industrial applications.

KEYWORDS:

• Phospholipids
• calabash gourd
• amino acids
• proximate
• anti-nutrients

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data Availability Statement

All data generated or used during the study appear in the submitted article.