Nutritional composition of different varieties of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruit at gewane, Northeastern Ethiopia

Abstract

Watermelons belong to the family Cucurbitaceae. The plant has fruits and grows on vines and on the ground like cantaloupe, pumpkin. Fruit with good antioxidant properties used to prevent non-communicable diseases (NCDs). However there is knowledge gap in nutritional composition and antioxidant activity of watermelon fruits in our context. Four varieties of watermelon grown in Gewane, Ethiopia were studied for their proximate composition, mineral content, and total phenolic content (TPC). Results found for proximate composition of varieties watermelon flesh and seed part ranged as follows: Protein; 0.397 – 0.657% (flesh) and 19.87 – 24.60% (seed), Fat; 0.074 – 0.105% (flesh) and 23.35 – 25.25% (seed), Ash; 1.72 – 1.989% (flesh) and 2.4 – 2.6% (seed), Fiber; 0.127 – 0.213 (flesh) and 28.66 – 34.35% (seed), Moisture; 91 – 95% (flesh) and 2.7 – 4.55% (seed), Carbohydrate; 2.122 – 0.016% (flesh) and 10.66 – 20.3% (seed), Kcal; 11.715 – 28.633% (flesh) and 360.55 – 375.21% (seed). The mineral content of citrullus lanatus fruit, for Fe ranged between 0.8 - 3.143 and 2.454 – 4.919 mg/100gm (in flesh & seed), for Zn 0.057 – 0.144 and 3.223 – 4.476 mg/100gm (in flesh & seed), for Ca 5.625 – 7.771 and 11.922 – 33.326 mg/100gm (in flesh and seed), for P 10.826 – 19.037 and 375.90 – 476.96 mg/100gm (in flesh & seed), for Na 6.15 – 11.58 and 3.87 – 11.96 mg/100gm (in flesh & seed) and for K 96.55 – 111.01 and 708.66 – 1036.68 mg/100gm (in flesh & seed) was found. This finding showed that there is significance difference in nutritional composition of fruit, flesh and seed part of watermelon in the sample varieties.