Abstract
The composition of the oil and protein contents of eight Lagenaria siceraria varieties was characterized in order to evaluate their suitability as a source of edible oil and protein. The physicochemical properties and fatty acids of seed oils were determined. The oil yield ranged from 24.11 to 26.32 %. The refractive indices and relative densities of the oils fell within the narrow ranges of 1.464-1.468 and 0.857-0.907 g/cm(3), respectively. The saponification value ranged from 158.48 to 179.52 mg KOH/g, unsaponifiable matter was between 0.749 and 0.937 %, and the peroxide values were lower than Codex values for vegetable oils. The principal fatty acids were linoleic (62.1-67.9 %), oleic (11.54-15.46 %), palmitic (12.13-14.03 %), and stearic (6.71-7.71 %) acids. Low linolenic acid levels were also observed (< 1 %) within the range of 0.32-0.44 %. The major essential amino acids were arginine (2.04-3.77 g/100 g), leucine (1.245-1.726 g/100 g), phenylalanine (0.803-1.396 g/100 g), and lysine (0.921-1.383 g/100 g). The non-essential amino acids were glutamic acid (2.5-4.37 g/100 g), aspartic acid (1.39-2.36 g/100 g), serine (0.69-1.19 g/100 g), glycine (0.79-1.37 g/100 g), alanine (0.72-1.37 g/100 g), and proline (0.63-1.02 g/100 g). Nine minerals (Na, Ca, Mg, K, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, and P) were determined with significant (p < 0.05) differences. The studied oils showed promising results and can be used in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. This is the first study on the eight L. siceraria seed varieties grown in Sudan, opening the way for further studies on these seeds.