Melon By-products and their Biopotential (RSPG2.6)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Wastes of edible fruits represent a wealth with their phytoconstituents, They can be used in dietary supplements and skin care. In this project, Cucumis melo var.cantalopensis (Cucurbitaceae) was investigated for its phytoconstituents in correlation to the antioxidant and anti-aging effects The Wastes of c.melo var.cantalopensis (seeds and peels) were extracted with hexane to be analyzed for its fatty acids, sterols and hydrocarbons using Gas chromatography/mass spectroscopy (GC/MS). The main unsaturated fatty acid was methyl linoleate while the main saturated fatty acid was methyl palmitate, furthermore, the predominant hydrocarbon was octacosane. Vitamin content estimation revealed a high level of vitamins C and A in peels which were 16.52 and 24.03 mg/g respectively. Both peel and seed have a high level of minerals hence peel is rich in Ca, Mg and Fe and their amounts were 0.823, 0.432 and 192.873 mg/g, respectively on the other hand seed are rich in Se, Cu and Zn which their amounts were 4.410, 11.079 and 40.902 mg/g respectively. Phenolic content was estimated with Folin–Ciocalteu method and its value was 11.1mg/g while flavonoid content was 6. 5 mg/g. Anti-oxidant activity was tested using three assays which were DPPH, FRAP and ABTS. In DPPH free radical scavenging activity, extracts of C.melo showed that percentage inhibition of the methanolic extract of peel is 5.63 +/- 0.07 and seed is 11.68 +/- 1.20, in FRAP, results of peels and seeds ranges were 151.7 +/- 15.8 and 44.81+/- 6.44 microM TE/mg extract, respectively and in ABTS the range of values of peel was 160.94 +/- 12.85 and for seed was 19.63 +/- 2.71 micromolar TE/mg extract. Comparing the inhibitory activity of our extract and oil on tyrosinase, collagenase and elastase enzymes as representatives for anti-aging activity, it is noted that methanolic extract of peel has better inhibitory activity on the 3 enzymes more than oil and those results are comparable with the standards of the positive control. The percentage inhibition of anti-elastase in methanolic extract was 86.12 +/- 1.32 and in oil was 87.92 +/- 2.21, the percentage inhibition of anti-collagenase in methanolic extract and oil were 61 +/- 2.1, 75.23 +/- 1.65 respectively and the percentage inhibition of anti-tyrosinase in methanolic extract was 61.03 +/- 1.85 and in oil was 74.12 +/- 1.50. The C.melo represented a promising candidate in pharmaceutical skin care market.