Impacts of refining and antioxidants on the physico-chemical characteristics and oxidative stability of watermelon seed oil

Compositional analyses of seeds from two cultivars (Mateera and Sugar baby) was performed to evaluate their suitability as oilseeds. Watermelon seeds and kernels contained 21.9-25.5 % and 38.9-46.9 % oil of exceptionally high quality. The crude oil was expelled with a screw press and then refined to obtain a odor free and colorless oil. The moisture content, unsaponifiable matter content, refractive index, and specific gravity were within the narrow ranges. Refining influenced the color, acid value, saponification value, peroxide value, and free fatty acid contents. Linoleic acid (C18:2) was the principal fatty acid constituting 64.5-67.2 % of the total fatty acids. Oxidative stability increased with the addition of tocopherols, butylated hydroxyl anisole (BHA), and tert-butyl hydroxyl quinine (TBHQ). The high amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) along with physicochemical properties were similar to soybeans, sunflower and other common vegetable oils, suggesting the suitabilty of watermelon seed oil for industrial production.