Abstract:
Attempt was made to determine the nutritional and anti nutritional composition of Wild
melon (
C. ecirrhosus
) popularly known as
“Gunar shanu
in Hausa land, using suitab
le
methods of analyses. The results for proximate analyses (% DW) showed a composition
of 3.73 ± moisture, 2.12 ± 0.08 ash content, 26.36 ± 0.10 crude protein, 50.67 ± crude
lipid, 2.17 ± 0.29 crude fibre, 18.69 ± 0.82 carbohydrate and energy value of 601.
7 ± 8.75
Kcal/ 100g. Amino acids determination revealed a profile containing essential amino
acids for adults, but leucine, lysine, and threonine are below the requirement value for
14
children. The oil was found to composed of a combination of high concentra
tion (67.3%)
of unsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid C:18.2) and oleic C:18.1), and low concentration
(36.6%) of saturated fatty acids (stearic acid C: 18.0 and palmitic acid C:16.0). This
arrangement gave the oil good properties suitable for industrial
and domestic activities.
High concentration of nitrate (151666±7637), phytate (136.04±1.54) and saponin (18.65
± 0.2
mg/100gDW
) were recorded in the seed, this is notwithstanding because boiling
reduce their effect to a minimum. The
overall result implies t
hat seed of the wild melon possessed the potential to be used as a
source of nutrition.
