Abstract

The paper reviewed the nutrient contents and anti-nutritional properties of watermelon seed. Various published articles on proximate composition, nutrient contents and anti-nutrient properties of watermelon seed were critical reviewed. The reviewed proximate composition of watermelon seed showed that the values of moisture, crude protein, crude fat, ash, crude fibre and carbohydrate contents ranging from 5.06 – 8.50%, 25.33 – 49.70%, 32.90 – 50.48%, 2.98 – 4.90%, 2.10 – 6.10% and 6.06 – 10.68%, respectively. Also, the minerals contents showed that the values of calcium, sodium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and potassium ranging from 20.80 – 755.20 mg/100g, 7.00 – 94.40 mg/100g, 3.42 – 8.40 mg/100g, 375.90 – 614.30 mg/100g, 25.60 – 509.10 mg/100g, 3.22 – 10.40 mg/100g and 482.30 – 1036.68 mg/100g, respectively while amino acid composition of watermelon seed revealed that values of isoleucine, histidine, leucine, lysine, phenylalaline, methionine, threonine, valine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, arginine and alaline ranging from 0.42 – 0.99%, 0.40 – 0.78%, 1.20 – 2.12%, 0.01 – 0.84%, 0.91 – 2.28%, 0.30 - 0.70%, 0.45 – 1.11%, 0.70 – 1.48%, 1.34 – 2.88%, 0.60 – 6.01%, 0.93 – 1.43%, 0.52 – 4.29% and 0.86 – 1.31%, respectively. Anti-nutritional properties showed that the values of saponin, phenol, alkanoid, flavonoids and tanninranging from 1.55 – 2.33 mg/100g, 0.11 – 1.37 mg/100g, 0.36 – 33.79 mg/100g, 2.00 – 2.31 mg/100g and 0.52 – 0.61 mg/100g, respectively. The review disclosed that watermelon seed have lower anti-nutritional properties, contained appreciable amount of mineral and protein contents which could be useful for fortifying carbohydrate based food. Also, it could serves as possible source of oil/fat for food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.