title: Characterisation and functional properties of watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) seed proteins.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  People in developing countries depend largely on non-conventional protein sources to augment the availability of proteins in their diets. Watermelon seed meal is reported to contain an adequate amount of nutritional proteins that could be extracted for use as nutritional ingredients in food products.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Osborne classification showed that globulin was the major protein (≥500 g kg (-1)) present in watermelon seed meal, followed by albumin and glutelin. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that the polypeptides had low molecular weights ranging from 35 to 47 kDa. Isoelectric focusing revealed that the isoelectric point of most proteins was in the acidic range 4-6. These proteins are rich in aspartic acid, glutamic acid and serine. An increase in pH (5-9) significantly (P < 0.05) decreased the denaturation enthalpy of these proteins. Among functional properties, albumin exhibited a much higher dispersibility index (810.3-869.6 g kg(-1)) than globulin (227.8-245.4 g kg(-1)), glutelin (182.1-187.7 g kg(-1)) and prolamin (162.3-177.7 g kg(-1)). Digestibility was in the ranges 760.6-910.0 and 765.5-888.5 g kg(-1) for Mateera and Sugar Baby watermelon protein fractions respectively, while surface hydrophobicity ranged from 126.4 to 173.2 and from 125.8 to 169.3 respectively. The foaming and emulsifying properties of albumin were better than those of the other proteins studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The good nutritional and functional properties of watermelon seed meal proteins suggest their potential use in food formulations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Technology, Islamic University of Science and Technology, Awantipora, India.
authors.forename: Ali Abas
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Wani
authors.forename: Dalbir Singh
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Sogi
authors.forename: Preeti
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Idrees Ahmed
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Wani
authors.forename: Uma S
authors.initials: US
authors.lastname: Shivhare
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000737:chemistry*; D029773:Citrullus / Q000737:chemistry*; D005916:Globulins / Q000737:chemistry*; D005983:Glutens / Q000737:chemistry*; D009753:Nutritive Value; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000418:Albumins; D005916:Globulins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D005983:Glutens