The Effect of Storage Temperature on the Composition of Fatty Acids in Crimson Sweet (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) Watermelon Cultivar Seeds

Abstract

Crimson Sweet is one of the favorite watermelon cultivars with high sugar content and great flavor containing small and dark seeds. Both fruit flesh and seeds have high nutrition content. In order to evaluate new sources of oil for the growing population, watermelon seed oil is used in some nations. Therefore, it was aimed to determine the fatty acid profile of differentially stored Crimson Sweet watermelon seed oil in this study. The results indicated that seeds are rich in Omega 6 fatty acid (40.62-42.34%). The amount of this essential fatty acid was higher at samples stored at 4oC. Palmitic, oleic, and stearic acids are the main fatty acids followed by linoleic acid in Crimson Sweet watermelon, respectively. Moreover, the ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acid to saturated fatty acids was determined as 1.16, 1.20, 1.27 (room temperature, 4oC, and newly harvested, respectively) which are in the desirable range for qualified oil.