Phytochemical And Nutritional Evaluation of Cucurbita maxima And Citrullus lanatus in Wistar Rats

ABSTRACT      

Fruits and vegetables are eaten world over and serve as nutrient supplements. This study compared the nutritional and phytochemical contents of the pulp of C. lanatus dried at 45°C and C. maxima dried at 45°C and 100°C and their effect on the biochemical, haematological, histopathological and growth performance parameters of Wistar rats after feeding with 5% and 10% ratios. The results showed that proximate composition of C. lanatus and most especially C. maxima dried at 45°C and 100°C are a good source of ash, fibre and minerals such as sodium, potassium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium. Phytochemical analysis reveals that the pulp of both fruits are a good source of flavonoids, phenolics, saponins, alkaloids and other secondary metabolites of which C. maxima contained higher values in most contents when compared with C. lanatus. This trend was also observed in the GC-MS Analysis of other secondary metabolites in both fruits. The acute toxicity test of the dried pulp of C. maxima dried at 45°C and 100°C and C. lanatus dried at 45°C showed no death in the rats up to 10000mg/kg body weight of the pulp. Blood samples and organ investigations were carried out using standard laboratory tests. The result revealed that C. lanatus dried at 45°C and C. maxima dried at 100°C significantly affected the parameters of rats in these groups with beneficial effects on their vital organs and blood. The concentrations of the PCV, platelets, white blood cells and granulocytes significantly increased (p