%0 Journal Article
%T Macronutrient composition of three cucurbit species cultivated for seed consumption in C te d¡¯Ivoire
%A AL Loukou
%A D Gnakri
%A Y Dj¨¨
%A AV Kippr¨¦
%A M Malice
%A J-P Baudoin
%A IA Bi
%J African Journal of Biotechnology
%D 2007
%I Academic Journals
%X Dry seeds from three indigenous cucurbits [Citrullus lanatus var. citroides (Thumb.) Matsum. & Nakai., Cucumeropsis mannii Naudin, and Cucumis melo var. agrestis L.] largely cultivated in C te d¡¯Ivoire and consumed as sauce thickeners were analyzed for their proximate composition and compared to a local landrace of peanut (Arachis hypogae L.). The protein contents were 29.23¡À1.74, 36¡À2.17, 29.55¡À2.09, and 24.79¡À0.44% for C. lanatus, C. mannii, C. melo, and A. hypogaea, respectively. The highest estimates of fat content was observed with C. lanatus (56.67¡À4.90%) followed in decreased order by the peanut (48.17¡À1.60%), C. mannii (45.89¡À4.73%), and C. melo (42.67¡À3.43%). The carbohydrate content for C. lanatus was 9.87¡À3.52% and C. mannii and C. melo had 13.86¡À3.64 and 23.18¡À4.80%, respectively. C. melo was then the highest in carbohydrate content whereas A. hypogaea has the lowest value (6.39¡À2.66%). The crude fibre contents for C. lanatus, C. mannii, and C. melo averaged 2.87¡À1.07, 2.30¡À0.85, and 2.94¡À0.75%, respectively. The three cucurbit species were markedly low in fibre value, compared to the analyzed peanut (17.14¡À3.82%). As expected on the basis of several published data, ash content of seeds from indigenous cucurbits was generally low: 1.33¡À0.52% (C. lanatus), 2.50¡À1.38% (C. mannii), and 1.67¡À0.82% (C. melo).
%U http://www.ajol.info/index.php/ajb/article/view/56834