Physicochemical properties of pumpkin seeds grown in Ghana

Abstract

The pumpkin seed oil has many health benefits and is considered as nutritional powerhouses, with a wide variety of nutrients ranging from magnesium and manganese to copper, protein, and zinc. Despite the enormous health benefits of pumpkins, they are grown on a low scale in Ghana because of lack of knowledge on its physiochemical properties, nutritional value, and market potential. Based on this, the study aimed at determining the physicochemical properties of pumpkin seed oil and to evaluate it nutritional composition. Several equipment and materials were used for this study. Some equipment and materials used for this study include; vacuum oven, stoppered conical flask, burette, retort stand. In this study free fatty acid, peroxide value, saponification value, and iodine value was determined and was then calculated (AOAC, 1990). The data obtained were processed and analyzed with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.0. The results were organized into simple Tables using Mean and standard deviation. The study showed that pumpkin seed had a free fatty acid value of 0.06%. The finding revealed that the acid value of pumpkin seed oil was 0.12 ± 0.00 mgKOH/g. The peroxide value of pumpkin seeds oil was 9.69± 0.12 meq o2/kg oil. Also, the saponification value of the oil was 44.19 ±0.80. The pumpkin seed oil had an iodine value was 10.62 ± 0.33 (g of I2/100g oil), which indicated a low degree of unsaturation. It was concluded that the pumpkin seed oil can be considered as a new and valuable source of edible oil according to its physicochemical properties. The study recommended that more attention and care should be taken for pumpkin cultivation to produce seeds for oil production in Ghana. Also, the ministry of health should encourage the consumption of pumpkin seed oil as frequent consumption of pumpkin seed oil can increase better nutrition and health.