PHYSICOCHEMICAL, PROXIMATE AND ANTIOXIDANT PROPERTIES OF CURCUBITA MAXIMA SEED OIL

Abstract

his study was carried out to evaluate the physicochemical, proximate and antioxidant  properties  of Curcubita maxima seed oil. The seed oil was extracted by adopting standard method using soxhlet extractor with hexane as the extraction solvent. The antioxidant potential was measured in terms of hydrogen donation or radical scavenging ability. The physicochemical and proximate properties analyses were carried out by adopting standard methods. Antioxidant study indicated that Curcubita maxima seed oil had 48% of antioxidant activity at 0.25mg/ml, 43% at 0.0312 mg/ml, 40 % at 0.5mg/ml, 39% at 0.125mg/ml and 38% at 0,0625mg/ml. The proximate analysis revealed that Curcubita maxima seeds contained total ash 5.47 %, moisture 4.49 %, crude fibre 21.83 %, crude lipid 37.93 %, crude protein 15.21% and carbohydrate 15.07 %.The physicochemical properties showed that the light yellow oil has an acid value 2.80 mgKOH/g, peroxide value 65.70 meq/kg, iodine value 105.64I2/100g, saponification value 198.45mgKOH/g and unsaponifiable matter content 13.41g/kg. The oil can also serve as a good source for nutrition, frying and cosmetics. Keywords: Curcubita maxima, antioxidant potential, light yellow, iodine value, crude protein, soxhlet extractor