ANALYSIS OF OIL AND VITAMIN COMPOSITION OF MELON SEEDS J.G. Bakhtiyarov 1 , K.R. Tukhtaev 1 , G.Sh. Karimova 2 1) Tashkent Pharmaceutical Institute, Tashkent. Uzbekistan, 2) National Research Institute of Renewable Energy Sources under the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan. In the countries of Central Asia, melon (
Cucumis melo ) is considered a gourd and is
grown in large quantities. Its composition is rich in minerals, and the fruits are very
nutritious. Melon fruits contain vitamins A, B
1
, B
2
, B
5
, B
6
, C, E, PP, and also include
beta-carotenes, natural pectin and folic acid. Melon pulp has also been found to contain
dietary fiber, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, calcium, iron, zinc, and
many other minerals. Along with melon fruits, their seeds are also a valuable product.
Analysis of the content of protein nitrogen reaches 6%, in the composition of oil seeds it
reaches up to 55%. When used, melon seeds increase the protective functions of the
body, which is of great importance for a weakened body.
Seeds prevent inflammatory processes in the body, improve metabolism, increase
urination, lower blood cholesterol levels and have a positive effect on men's health. Crushed
melon seeds are recommended in folk medicine for colds of the respiratory tract and coughs.
Due to the content of zinc, it has a beneficial effect on the skin, hair and nails. The aim of the
study is to study the content of oil, seed coat and vitamins in crushed melon seeds.
The melon variety "Torpedo" (
Cucumis melo subsp.velo var. Mirza ) grown in the
Bostanlyk district of the Tashkent region was used In the experiments. Seeds were separated
from melon fruits, the fetal membrane was isolated, and the seeds were dried at room
temperature. Melon seeds were crushed in a blender and passed through a sieve with a size of
2 mm. Thereafter, the oil was extracted with hexane at a ratio of 5:1 to separate the oil. The oil
has the following indicators: d
20
0.9321±0.0020, n
d
20
1.4601±0.0200, iodine number 128±2.0.
By removing the seeds, the seed coat of the melon was separated. When the seed coat
was dried, a brown powder was formed. The powder is soluble in water and forms a gel.
In relation to the mass of the melon, the seeds together with the placenta have a weight
of about 5%. If the seeds are separated and dried to a constant weight, then their share
reaches 0.41%. An aqueous solution of gels isolated from the placenta was subjected to
hydrolysis with a 2 n sulfuric acid solution. Chromatographic analysis on paper on
alumina showed (system water, ethanol:hexane at a ratio of 1:3:5) the presence of
glucanose and arabinose. The findings suggest melon placenta is composed of complex
polysaccharides and gum of gluconase and arabinose.
Grinding the seeds was subjected to extraction with hexane. By removing the solvent,
melon oil was obtained with a yield of 46.5%. The analysis showed that the oil contains
81.5% of unsaturated fatty acids, and the amount of saturated fatty acids reaches up to 18.5%.
The content of linoleic acid is 60.5%, and palmitic acid in the oil reaches 9.8%.
Chromatography revealed that 100 g of crushed samples contained the following vitamins:
31.3 ± 2 mg B1, 20.5 ± 1.5 mg B2, 22.2 ± 3 mg B6, and 57.0 ± 2.5 mg C. According to the
results of the analysis, 100 g of ground melon seeds contain 0.002525 mg of thiamine,
0.004619 mg of ascorbic acid, 0.00786 mg of riboflavin. The results obtained showed that
melon seeds are an important raw material for obtaining biologically active substances.
The
composition of melon seeds was analyzed and the amount of vitamins in it was determined.