Phytochemical and Vitamin Composition of Cucumis metuliferus Juice

Abstract

The pursuit of healthy lifestyle has led to increased demand for fruits and vegetables. Fruit juice in particular, is increasingly receiving attention because of the therapeutic benefits derived from its consumption. The bioactive compounds in fruit juice have various pharmacological applications. Cucumis metuliferus is a plant of the Cucurbitaceae family. The fruit has a high water content and sought after to quench thirst. The ethno-medicinal properties of the fruit requires investigation of all the parts in order to maximally utilize it. Therefore, in this study, the phytochemical and vitamin composition of the juice were investigated. The assays were conducted using standard methods. From the result, the phytochemicals present were phytate (0.33 ± 0.03%), alkaloids (0.48 ± 0.06%), saponins (0.19 ± 0.04%), cardiac glycosides (0.46 ± 0.16%), Oxalate (3.24 ± 0.38 mg/ml), tannins (108.79 ± 5.16 mg TAE/g) and phenols (0.06 ± 0.01 mg GAE/ml). The vitamin present were vitamin A (198.51 mg/kg), vitamin B1 (0.09 mg/ml), Vitamin B2 (0.11 mg/ml), Vitamin B3 (0.07 mg/ml), vitamin B6 (835.0 mg/ml), vitamin B9 (2.089 mg/ml), vitamin B12 (0.1 mg/ml), Vitamin C (682.0 mg/ml), vitamin D (5.28 mg/ml), vitamin E (4.42 mg/ml) and vitamin K (2.4336 mg/ml). These results have shown that Cucumis metuliferus juice have pharmacological properties and could also be utilized as an alternative source of vitamins.