Chemical Properties of Some Cucurbitaceae Oils from Cameroon

This work presents some chemical properties of Cucurbitaceae seed oils from different areas in Cameroon. These seeds are Cucumeropsis mannii (egusi melon), Cucurbita maxima (pumpkin or squash gourd), Cucurbita moschata (musk melón), Lagenaria siceraria (bottle gourd or calabash) and Cucumis sativus (“Ibo”egusi). The results show that the saponification, iodine and peroxide indices are influenced by the areas while the acid index and percentage of impurity do not depend on the area of cultivation but on the specie, except Lagenaria siceraria. The values for the indices are within recommended levels for edible oils. These oils have 4 main fatty acids: Linoleic acid, C18:2 (49-69%); oleic acid, C18:1 (9-25%); stearic acid, C18:O (7-11%) and palmitic acid, C16:O (10-19%). Their chemical properties are similar to those of corn, cottonseed, sesame and sunflower seed oils, suggesting their potential use as good table and cooking oils which can increase HDL and reduce serum cholesterol and LDL levels, hence could help prevent cardiovascular illnesses. They could also be used for making mayonnaise and soap.