Nutritional Evaluation, Physico-Chemical Characteristics, Fatty Acid Composition and Mineral Contents of Some Vegetable Seed and Oils

Abstract

Some physico-chemical characteristics, fatty acids and mineral contents of pumpkin, sweet pumpkin, melon, watermelon, paprika, tomato and cucumber seeds were determined. All seeds contained at the high levels of lipid (15.6–51.8 %) and protein (19.8–39.9 %). Among the cultivars studied, tomato seed contained the highest potassium (10542.1 mg/Kg). K, Mg, Na and P contents of samples were found high amounts than those of other elements. While acidity values of seed oils changed between 3.15–4.24 %, peroxide values ranged between 4.72 meq/Kg to 12.5 meq/Kg. Viscosity values ranged between 25.75 mPa (tomato seed oil) to 51.2 mPa (pumpkin seed oil). While L* values of oils changed between 64.38 to 36.81, a* value ranged between 20.21 to –2.22. Linoleic and oleic acids were established as major fatty acids. While linoleic acid contents of samples ranged between 54.4 % (sweet pumpkin) to 71.6 %(paprika seed oil), oleic acid contents changed between 9.05 (paprika seed oil) to 22.9 % (sweet pumpkin and tomato seed oils).