Proximate Composition, Antioxidant Properties, Mineral Content and Anti-nutritional Composition of<i>Sesamum Indicum, Cucumeropsis Edulis</i>and<i>Cucurbita Pepo</i>Seeds Grown in the Savanna Regions of Ghana
Mercy Badu, Mary-Magdalene Pedavoah, Irene Yayra Dzaye
Abstract
This study evaluated the nutritional and antioxidant properties of Sesamum indicum, Cucumeropsis edulis and Cucurbita pepo seeds by determining proximate composition and mineral composition by atomic absorption spectroscopy and antioxidant assays. C. pepo had the highest protein (28.31%), S. indicum had the highest fat (52.53%) and C. edulis had the highest fiber content (6.23%), and highest total antioxidant capacity (199.75 mg AAE g−1 dry weight of ethanol extract). Magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, sodium and zinc were the most abundant mineral elements present in these seeds.
Topics & Concepts
Cucurbita pepoSesamumProximateFood scienceComposition (language)PotassiumChemistryPumpkin seedCucurbitaChemical compositionAntioxidantBotanyZincAgronomyBiologyBiochemistryPhilosophyOrganic chemistryLinguisticsSesame and Sesamin ResearchAdvances in Cucurbitaceae ResearchAfrican Botany and Ecology Studies