Effect of fermentation on the nutritional potential of oils of melon seeds

O. M. David1, E. Y. Aderibigbe2 and O. B. Ajayi²

¹Department of Microbiology,University of Ado-Ekiti, P.M.B. 5363, (Nigeria) ²Department of Biochemistry, University of Ado-Ekiti, P.M.B. 5363, (Nigeria)

ABSTRACT: The nutritional potential of oils extracted from different melon seeds and their fermented products- ‘ogiri’ was investigated. Diets composed with the oils were fed to experimental animals (albino rats) for seven weeks, while soybean oils served as control. Nutritional qualities were compared on the basis of the responses of body weight, organ weight, and biochemical parameters of the oils. The rats fed on diets with oil from fermented melon seeds gained more weight (28.30 – 43.24g) than those in the diet groups containing oil from unfermented seeds (27.74-31.98g). However, the differences were not significant at p<0.5. The relative weights of the hearts of rats fed on unfermented oil diets were higher than the corresponding fermented diet groups. The relative kidney and liver weights of the test diets were higher than the control diet, except diet containing oil from unfermented Citrullus lanatus (UCL). Both acid phosphates (ACP) and alkaline phosphates (ALP) in the test groups were higher than in the control group. Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) were reduced in the liver of the text groups in the group fed with diet containing oil of unfermented Cucumeropsis manii (UCM). AST increased in the hearts of the text groups except UCM. In summary, oils from fermented melon seeds were nutritionally better than oils from unfermented melon seeds.

KEYWORDS: Melon seeds; fermentation; nutrition; ‘ogiri’; transferase; phosphates

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