Seeds from the cucurbitaceae plant family are discarded as the byproducts which generally obtained after extraction of oil during food processing. Recently, found a great deal of interest as cucurbit seeds are found to be rich source of nutrients such as monounsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, tocopherols (α-Tocopherol, β-Tocopherol, δ-Tocopherol, γ-Tocopherol), carotenoids, β-carotene, phytosterol, proteins, minerals, vitamins, phenolic compounds, and antioxidants. Despite the potential nutritional benefits, the commercial product of cucurbit plants are lacking in the market. Therefore, there is an urgent need to increase production and utilization of cucurbit seed oil for human nutrition. The main purpose of the present review is to sum up the published information on the nutritional potential of cucurbit seed oils to promote industrial production and stimulates further research on commercial use of cucurbit seeds. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: The aims of this review are to highlight the nutritional values and antioxidant properties of cucurbit seed and their impact on the overall human health. These cucurbit seeds are rich source of vitamins and minerals which are necessary for healthy human diet. In addition to other commercial oils, cucurbits oils are equally important and rich in essential active ingredients. Quite abundance of cucurbit seeds in African continents can pave way to enhance production on the industrial scale which can create employability ranging from farmers to skilled workers. In all, the oil produced from the cucurbit seeds can be applied practically to implement large-scale production as a part of food industry and dietary supplement industry in paramedical sector.
Keywords: Sudan; cucurbit seeds; cucurbitaceae; edible oil; nutritional value; physiochemical characteristics of oil seeds.
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