Chemical Composition, Nutritional Values and Antibacterial Activities of Watermelon Seed (Citrullus lanatus)

Abstract

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines traditional medicine as the sum total of the knowledge, skills, and practices based on the theories, beliefs and experiences indigenous to different cultures, whether explicable or not, used in the maintenance of health as well as in the prevention, diagnosis, improvement or treatment of physical and mental illness. Plants are traditionally used for treatment of bacterial infections. The aim of this study was to investigate chemical composition, nutritional evaluation and antibacterial activities of watermelon seeds. The qualitative phytochemical analysis of watermelon indicated that alkaloids were moderately present, tannins, saponins, flavonoids, and phenols were all present. The quantitative analysis of watermelon indicated 3.080 mg/g for alkaloids, 0.304mg/g for phenols, 0.117 mg/g for tannins, 0.200mg/g for saponins and 2.675 mg/g for flavonoids.  The vitamin composition of watermelon seeds indicated 0.03 mg/100 g for vitaminB1, 0.01 vitaminB2, 0.64 mg/100g for vitaminB3, 0.24 mg /100 g vitaminB6 and 0.01 for vitaminB12.The bioactivities of extract were tested, against Proteus mirabilis, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Necropsobacter rosorum, Tsukamurella hongkongensis, Lactobacillus sp, Staphylococcus petrasii, Neisseria sicca, Dietzi amaris, Pseudomonas oryzyhabitans, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Advenella incenata, Neiserria subflava and Serriatia marcescens. Researchers are advised to turn their attention towards plants products, which is most promising area in search of new biologically activity compounds with better activity against multi drug resistant strains and reduced antibiotic related side effects.