Physicochemical Characterization of Fruit Pulp and Seed oil From Citrullus Colocynthis(Hanzhal)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the chemical composition of Citrullus Colocynthis (Hanzhal) fruit pulp and seeds oil. Mineral content of fruit pulp powder was determined using Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP).The result showed a very wide range of minerals content. The most available minerals were Sulfur(14mg/L) and Phosphorous(1.3mg/L)followed byK(500ug/L),Fe(350 ug/L),Na(260ug/L),Ca(230ug/L),Mg(230ug/L),Zn(51ug/L),Cu(50ug/L) ,and Mn(3.4 ug/L ). The toxic minerals Pb,As,Sn and Sb were availabile in low concentrations. An ethanolic extract of the fruit pulp was analyzed by GC-MS. The results showedthe presence of fifteen components,dominated by Furan-3-carboxylic acid, 5-(adamantan-1-yl)-2-methyl-, benzylamide(18.15%). 1, 2, 5-Oxadiazole, 3,4-bis(2-thienylcarbonylamino) (11.15%), Androst-1-en-3-one (10.26%), Isosteviol(8.66%) and cis-Vaccenic acid(7.37%). Citrullus Colocynthis seeds sample were crushed and its oil was extracted by n-hexane using soxhlet extraction system .The oil yield was found to be (23%). The physicochemical properties of the oil were measured by employing the appropriate standard procedure for each property. The results showed pH value as(5.8),density (0.923g/cm³),viscosity(51.174 mm²/s),acid value(0.98 mg KOH/g of oil),saponification number(214.3mgKOH/g of oil),iodine number(111.52gI2/100g),peroxide number(13.9 meqO2/g of oil) and free fatty acids number(0.49%). An oil sample was analyzed for the major chemical constituent by GC-MS. The results showed the presence of twelve components dominated by Linoleic acid (70.48 %),Palmitic acid(16.77%),Elaidic acid(10.30%)Arachidic acid(0.65%) and cyclopropaneoctanoic acid(0.54%).