Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 120/1, 1–12, Ljubljana 2024 doi:10.14720/aas.2024.120.1.16382 Original research article / izvirni znanstveni članek Seed composition, physical characteristics and mineral content of Suda- nese landraces of pumpkin Safaa Ahmed HASSAN 1 , Mahdi SHAKAK 1 , Abdalbasit MARIOD 2, 3, 4 , Salma Elghali MUSTAFA 1 Received October 15, 2023; accepted February 25, 2024. Delo je prispelo 15. oktobra 2023, sprejeto 25. februarja 2024. 1 Sudan University of Science & Technology, College of Agricultural Science, Department of Food Science & Technology, Khartoum North, Sudan 2 University of Jeddah, College of Science, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 3 Ghibaish College of Science and Technology, Indigenous Knowledge and Heritage Centre, Ghibaish, Sudan 4 Corresponding author, e-mail: basitmariod58@gmail.com Seed composition, physical characteristics and mineral con- tent of Sudanese landraces of pumpkin Abstract: The study examined 23 landrace pumpkin seed samples from six Sudanese states (South Kordofan (SK), North Kordofan (NK), Gazira (GZ), Gadarif (GF), White Nile (WN), and Blue Nile (BN)), focusing on their composition and physi- cal characteristics. The results showed significant differences in oil percentages, with SK having the highest percentage. Protein content varied between 16.91 % and 26.13 % in NK. The proxi- mate composition of pumpkin seeds also varied significantly. The study found a significant difference in fatty acids, with polyunsaturated fatty acids having 37.02 % and monounsatu- rated fatty acids having 27.50 %. The total unsaturated fatty ac- ids ranged from 55.2 % to 70.2 %, while the total saturated fatty acids ranged from 29.45 % to 45.27 %. Seed length, width, and thickness varied, with WN having the highest kernel percentage (78.45 %). Several minerals were extracted from the seeds, with potassium being the most abundant element, ranging from 946 to 1100 mg 100 g -1 . Analysis revealed that the seeds contained a rich source of zinc (Zn), ranging from 8.4 mg 100 g -1 to 16.21 mg 100 g -1 . The study concluded that Sudanese landrace pump- kin seeds are valuable for edible oil and protein fortification due to their high levels of oil, protein, and minerals. Key words: landrace, North Kordofan, pumpkin seeds, South Kordofan Zgradba semen, fizikalne lastnosti in vsebnost mineralov v sudanskih deželnih rasah buč Izvleček: V raziskavi so bila preučene semena 23 dežel- nih ras buč, vzorčenih v šestih sudanskih državah (Južni Kord- ofan (SK), Severni Kordofan (NK), Gazira (GZ), Gadarif (GF), White Nile (WN) in Blue Nile (BN)), s poudarkom na njihovi zgradbi in fizikalnih lastnostih. Rezultati so pokazali značilne razlike v odstotkih vsebnosti olja, kjer ga je akcesija SK vsebo- vala največ. Vsebnost beljakovin je bila pri akcesiji NK med 16,91 % in 26,13 %. Vsebnost za prehrano pomembnih sestavin se je med semeni buč značilno spreminajala. Ugotovljene so bile tudi značilne razlike pri vsebnostih maščobnih kislin, kjer je vsebnost večkrat nenasičenih maščobnih kislin znašala 37,02 %, enkrat nenasičenih maščobnih kislin pa 27,50 %. Celoku- pna vsebnost nenasičenih maščobnih kislin je bila v razponu od 55,2 % do 70,2 %, celokupna vsebnost nasičenih maščobnih kislin pa med 29,45 % in 45,27 %. Dolžine, širine in debeline semena so bile spremenljive, akcesija WN je imela največji od- stotek jedrca (78,45 %). V analizi semen so bili določeni številni elementi, kjer je bil kalij najpogostejši, z vsebnostjo od 946 do 1100 mg 100 g -1 . Analiza je tudi odkrila, da so semena bogat vir cinka z vsebnostjo od 8.4 mg 100 g -1 do 16.21 mg 100 g -1 . Zaključek raziskave je, da so semena lokalnih sudanskih ras buč zaradi njihove sestave primerna za jedilno olje in za obogatenje hrane z beljakovinami in minerali. Ključne besede: deželne rase, Severni Kordofan, semena buč, Južni Kordofan Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 120/1 – 2024 2 S. A. HASSAN et al. 1 INTRODUCTION Among the most important cucurbits grown in Su- dan are pumpkins, which belong to the genus Cucurbita and are economically and nutritionally important mem- bers of the Cucurbitaceae family, known locally as “Graa assaly” . With respect to regional distribution, the central state is by far the most important production area of vari- able landraces of pumpkins, followed by the southern and western states where these landraces are extensively grown during the rainy season in Kordofan. Pumpkins are usually produced in Sudan by small farmers in rain- fed areas, irrigated private farms, and big government schemes. Compared with cash crops like cotton, little attention has been paid so far to pumpkin production. Therefore, reliable data on the area and production of pumpkins is challenging to obtain. Also, there is no im- proved cultivar of pumpkin for commercial cultivation in Sudan, and the production of cucurbits is based on local accessions and landraces. According to FAOSTAT (2020), pumpkin production in Sudan has fluctuated substantially in the recent year. It tended to increase through the 2014–2020 period, ending at 33,396 tons in 2020 on an area of 201 hectares. Although the pumpkin itself has various benefits, the pumpkin seeds have been the focus of interest in the last few years in the field of diet and disease research due to their various active components and chemical com- position as well as the health benefits. Studies by Odoe- melam (2005) and Ardabili et al. (2011) indicated that pumpkin seeds have nutritive and calorific values and are also a rich source of edible oils and fats. Stevenson et al. (2007) studied that pumpkin seeds have high nutritional value and rich in nutraceutical components such as un- saturated fatty acids, especially oleic acid and linoleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid. Landraces provide genetic diversity and are im- portant genetic resources for plant breeders. Reza et al. (2018) investigated twenty-one accessions of Cucurbita pepo L. and eleven accessions of Cucurbita moschata Duchesne for their fruit and seed characteristics, which differed significantly (p < 0.001) among accessions in terms of mass, width, length, thickness, and 100 seed mass. Balkaya et al. (2010) studied 40 populations of C. moschata and showed a wide diversity of seed charac- teristics. For example, a range of 13.8–24.3 mm for seed length, 7.5–15.3 mm for seed width, and 1.6–4.7 mm for seed thickness. In Sudan, the major sources of oil seeds are ground- nut (Arachis hypogoea L.), cotton seeds (Gossypium bar- badense L.), sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum L.) and sunflower seeds (Helianthus annuus L.). Ziyada and El- Hussien (2008) suggested looking for new sources of oil- bearing seeds. The most promising, unconventional, and new sources of seed oil in the Sudan are the available spe- cies of the family Cucurbitaceae. To date, little research has been carried out on the physicochemical properties and mineral content of pumpkin seeds obtained from different states in Sudan. In this study, the proximate composition, physical characteristics, and mineral con- tent of pumpkin seeds collected from six states in Sudan are examined. The results of this study are expected to improve the documentation of landrace pumpkin seeds collected from Sudan, thereby enhancing their utilization by different users, especially oil producers. 2 MATERIALS AND METHODS 2.1 PLANT MATERİAL Twenty-three samples of landrace pumpkin seeds (approximately 500 g of each) were collected from the six major pumpkin-producing states in Sudan. The states included South Kordofan (ten samples 1–10), North Kor- dofan (two samples 11–12), Gazira (four samples 13–16), Gadarif (three samples 17–19), White Nile (two samples 20–21), and Blue Nile (two samples 22–23). Pumpkin landraces and areas abbreviated (SK, NK, GZ, and GF), (A), and number of fallow areas: (SK, NK, GZ, and GF / A1, 23). Dried pumpkin seeds were obtained from each state’s local market.They were manually sorted to remove damaged seeds, undersized, immature seeds, and other extraneous materials. Then they were dehulled manually. The samples were then sealed in airtight plastic bags and kept in the refrigerator at 4 ℃ for analysis. 2.2 PROXIMATE ANALYSIS Moisture content was determined at 105 °C. Ash content was determined at 550  °C. Crude protein, lipid, and fiber were also determined according to the procedures of AOAC, (1990). 2.3 PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS The length, width, and thickness of whole pumpkin seeds were measured with an accuracy of 0.01 mm (0.25 mm) using a Vernier EBH (Germany). The measurement was performed on 100 randomly selected seeds from the test samples. Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 120/1 – 2024 3 Seed composition, physical characteristics and mineral content of Sudanese landraces of pumpkin 2.4 FATTY ACID COMPOSITION The fatty acid composition (FA) of oil samples was determined according to AOCA method no Ce 1-62 (1991) by using (GC/MS) technique model (GC/ MS-QP 2010- Ultra, Shimadzu, Japan), with capillary column (RTx-5 ms-30 m × 0.25 mm × 0.25 µm), 2 ml of sample was mixed thoroughly with 7 ml of alcoholic sodium hydroxide (NaOH) that prepared by dissolving 2 g in 100 ml methanol. 7 ml from alcoholic sulfuric acid (1 ml H 2 SO 4 to 100 ml methanol) was then added. The mixture was then shaked for 5 minutes. The content of the test tube was left to stand overnight. 1 ml of super saturated sodium chloride (NaCl) was then added and contents being shaken. 2 ml of normal hexane was added and the contents were shaked throughly for three minu- tes. Then the n-hexane layer (the upper layer of the test tube) was taken using disposable syringe.5 µl from the n-hexane extract was diluted with 5 ml of diethyl ether. Then the mixture was filtered through syring filter 0.45 µm and dried with 1g of anhydrous sodium sulphate as drying agent 1 µl of the diluted sample was injected in the GCMS instrument. 2.5 SEED INDEX From each pumpkin seed sample, 100 seeds were weighted using an electronic balance (Shimadzu, Japan, p = 0.001 g). This was repeated three times with the same number of seeds. An average of these mass was recorded. This method was applied to determine the mass of the whole seed, kernel, hull, and mass of 100 whole seeds (g) according to the method described by Jafari et al. (2012). 2.6 HUSK RATE Husk content was estimated by dehulling 100 g of pumpkin seed manually and weighted according to Man- da (2018). The percentage of mass of the whole pumpkin seed and kernel was used to figure out how much husk as per the following expression: Husk rate (%) = (mass of hull) / (mass of whole pumpkinseed and kernel) ×100 2.7 DETERMINATİON OF MINERAL CONTENT AOAC method no. 986.24 (1995) and the Atomic Ab- sorption Spectrophotometer (AAS model GBC 932 plus, Dandenong/Australia) were used to figure out the mineral content. One gram of the sample was put into a porcelain crucible and heated in a muffle furnace to 550 ℃. The ash was treated with 10 ml of concentrated hydrochloric acid, then made up to 100 ml. 2.8 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS The data generated were subjected to Statistical Analysis System (SAS) software (GenStat, 2014). The mean ± SE were tested using one-factor analysis of vari- ance (ANOVA), and the means were separated using Duncan’s multiple range test (DMRT). 3 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Table 1 illustrates the ash content of the 23 landraces of pumpkin seeds, which ranged from 1.537 % reported by S. Kordofan (PR/A10) to 3.300 % reported by GZ (PR/ A13). The differences observed could be explained by soil conditions, seed status, climate, and mineral presence. These values were close to the 4.64 ± 0.04 % reported by Mohammed (2015) and to the 4.87 % and 4.93 % re- ported by Can-Cauich et al. (2021), but lower than those obtained by Ardabili et al. (2011), who reported 5.34 %. The protein content ranged from 16.91 % to 26.13 %. Landrace from NK (PR/A12) had the highest values; these values are within the range of 23.70–30.68 % re- ported by Olaofe et al. (1994) for melon, pumpkin, and gourd seeds. The crude protein in the pumpkin seed compared favorably with high protein seeds and nuts like cowpeas (22.7 %) and soybeans (35 %). The protein con- tent of the pumpkin seed suggests that it can contribute to the daily protein need of 23–100 g for adults, as recom- mended by some authorities (Ajayi et al., 2006). The total crude oil content of pumpkin seeds var- ied between localities and ranged from 17.77 % to 49.91 %; landraces from SK (PR/A10) had the highest yield of seed oil with 49.91 %, while landraces from GZ (PR/ A13) had the lowest value with 17.77 %. These values fell in the range reported for different species of Cucurbita (9.8–52.1 %), different varieties of C. pepo (31.2–51.0 %) reported by Stevenson et al. (2007), and Egyptian va- rieties (50.1–51.01 %) reported by El-Adawy and Taha (2001). They were also like those reported by Amin et al. (2019) for native and hybrid pumpkin seeds, which were 23.5 and 17.6 %, respectively, and to those reported for Eritrean pumpkin seeds (22.2–35 %) (Younis et al., 2000). These findings show that landrace pumpkin seeds can be considered a potential source of vegetable oil for domestic and industrial purposes. The value of crude fib- Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 120/1 – 2024 4 S. A. HASSAN et al. er ranged from 5.17 % to 15.745 %; the landrace from SK (PR/A3) had the lower value, while the landrace from SK (PR/A10) had the highest. This result was in accordance with the findings published by Al-Anoos et al. (2015) for three pumpkin varieties (C. Maxima Duchesne), which ranged from 4.12–9.69 %, and Alfawaz (2004), who re- ported 2.13 ± 0.57 16.48 ± 0.81 for kernel and whole seed, respectively. These values were lower than those obtained by Rezig et al. (2012), who reported 21.97 %, and higher than the value of 2.49 % reported by Ardabili et al. (2011), but moderately less compared to the result reported by Steiner-Asiedu et al. (2014), which was less than 2.5 %. The total carbohydrate content of landrace seeds ranged from 2.56 % to 45.98 %. The SK landrace (PR/ Table 1: Proximate analysis of 23 pumpkin landraces seeds collected from different areas in Sudan* Location Pumpkin Race per Area Proximate Analysis Moisture (%) Ash (%) Oil content (%) Protein (%) Fiber (%) Carbohydrate (%) S.Kordfan SK/A1 6.947 ij 2.417 df 24.55 g 20.70 f 7.48 hi 37.91 bcd S.Kordfan SK/A2 7.307 i 1.743 ij 37.04 bc 22.60 bd 5.92 jk 25.49 h S.Kordfan SK/A3 6.967 ij 1.950 gi 37.08 bc 25.56 a 5.17 k 23.28 h S.Kordfan SK/A4 8.940 dh 2.833 bc 28.37 e 21.65 de 8.36 gh 29.85 g S.Kordfan SK/A5 9.487 cd 2.773 bd 20.77 kl 18.60 gh 13.20 bc 35.17 ef S.Kordfan SK/A6 8.793 eh 2.143 fh 24.53 g 18.91 g 12.07 ce 33.56 f S.Kordfan SK/A7 8.510g h 2.283 eg 36.13 cd 22.49 bd 12.68 bd 17.91 ij S.Kordfan SK/A8 9.370 ce 2.350 eg 22.52 hi 18.50 gh 13.50 b 33.76 f S.Kordfan SK/A9 9.270 cf 2.163 fh 36.70 bd 22.28 cd 11.26 df 18.32 i S.Kordfan SK/A10 12.000 a 1.537 j 49.91 a 23.37 b 15.74 a 2.56 l Mean (SK) 8.76 2.23 31.76 21.466 10.538 25.781 N.Kordfan NK/A11 8.550 gh 2.220 fh 37.26 bc 25.25 a 10.82 ef 15.91 j N.Kordfan NK/A12 9.510 cd 2.283 eg 38.01 b 26.13 a 10.35 f 13.71 k Mean (NK) 9.030 2.2515 37.635 25.69 10.585 14.81 Gezira GZ/A13 10.883 b 3.303 a 17.77 n 16.91 i 13.62 b 37.51 ce Gezira GZ/A14 8.597 gh 2.253 eg 25.97 f 21.83 d 11.44 df 29.91 g Gezira GZ/A15 8.707 fh 2.780 cd 20.30 kl 18.52 gh 12.51 bd 37.18 ce Gezira GZ/A16 8.737 fh 2.343 eg 27.22 ef 23.02 bc 10.47 f 28.21 g Mean (GZ) 9.231 2.66975 22.815 20.07 12.01 33.2025 Gedarif GF/A17 6.727 j 2.320 eg 18.25 mn 17.80 hi 8.93 g 45.98 a Gedarif GF/A18 9.527 cd 2.417 ef 23.66 gh 20.80 ef 8.03 gi 35.56 df Gedarif GF/A19 10.917 b 3.147 ab 19.94 kl 19.08 g 6.95 i j 39.97 b Mean (GF) 9.057 2.628 20.61667 19.22667 7.97 40.50 W . Nile WN/A20 9.060 cg 2.647 c 22.16 i j 18.68 gh 11.29 df 36.16 de W . Nile WN/A21 8.520 gh 1.840 hj 35.52 d 21.82 d 8.53 gh 23.77 h Mean (WN) 8.79 2.2435 28.84 20.25 9.91 29.965 Blue Nile BN/A22 8.357 h 2.377 ef 20.96 jk 18.25 gh 11.94 ce 38.91 bc Blue Nile BN/A23 9.600 c 2.413 df 19.51 lm 18.46 gh 12.58 bd 36.53 ce Mean (BN) 8.9785 2.395 20.235 18.355 12.26 37.72 Overall mean 8.93 2.37 28.22 20.9 10.56 29.44 ± SE 0.16 0.12 0.45 0.32 0.43 0.76 C.V% 3.6 8.9 2.8 2.6 7.1 4.5 *Means followed by the same letter/s are not significantly different using DMRT Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 120/1 – 2024 5 Seed composition, physical characteristics and mineral content of Sudanese landraces of pumpkin A10) had the lowest value, while the GZ landrace (PR/ A17) had the highest value. These values were within the range of 19 % reported by Ardabili et al. (2011) for pumpkin seeds and within the range of the same value obtained by Elinge et al. (2012), which was 28.03 %, and the value of 25 % reported by Qamar et al. (2019). Fatty acid compositions of seeds belonging to dif- ferent landraces and locations are shown in Table 2. According to obtained results, dominant fatty acids of landraces pumpkin seed oils were linoleic, oleic, pal- mitic, and stearic acids. Other fatty acids (palmitoleic acid, myristic acid, arachidic acid and behenic acid) were determined in small quantities. The major and most representative fatty acid in all analyzed landraces is lin- oleic which was exhibited in high percentage 41.58 % obtained by White Nile landrace (WN/A20) and low per- centage 33.39 % obtained by Blue Nile landrace (BN/ A23) and followed by oleic acid which was ranged from 11.03 % to 33.59 obtained by W. Nile landrace (WN/ A20) and N. Kordofan landrace (NK/A11), palmitic which was ranged from 16.71 % to 27.56 % obtained by N. Kordofan landrace (NK/A11) and Gazira landrace (GZ/A13), and stearic acid which was ranged from 2.24 % to 15.69 % obtained by Gazira landrace (GZ/A13) and Gedarif landrace (GF/A19), respectively. In the present study the content of most the fatty acids in the analyzed landraces pumpkin seed oils mainly affected by soil type in which the plants are grown, cli- mate and state of ripeness; interaction between these fac- tors was found to be significant for the content of poly- unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) percentage (37.02 %) and monounsaturated fatty acid percentages (27.50 %) ;and the total of unsaturated fatty acid (TUFA) which was ranged from 55.2 % to 70.2 %; while the total of saturated fatty acids (TSFA) content amounted in all landraces was ranged from 29.45 % to 45.27 %, that indicate the lan- draces pumpkin seeds oil in almost all samples collected from different locations in Sudan is highly unsaturated oil. It worth mention that the Sudanese landraces pump- kin seeds oil had a significant amount of squalene content in the all investigated landraces, which was ranged from 0.34 % to 1.29 % these values highly lower than values registered by Gorjanović et al. (2011), this non-glyceride component has been proposed to be an important part of the diet as it may be a chemo-preventative substance that protects people from cancer (Smith, 2000); that makes it contributes to the significant nutritive and medicinal value of the of the Sudanese landraces pumpkin seeds oil. With regard to location no significant difference in the percentages of fatty acids among the samples from same area but slightly differ from area to another, oil ex- tracted from Gedarif samples (GF/A17, GF/A18 and GF/ A19) had a lower average of linoleic acid content (34.07 %) and oil extracted from White Nile samples (WN/A20 and WN/A21) had a higher average of linoleic acid con- tent (39.90 %). White Nile area had the lowest average on the oleic acid (14.51 %), while North Kordofan area had the highest average (29.05 %) in the investigated races. Palmitic acid average was lowest in the investigated races from South Kordofan (18.94%), while highest in the Ge- darif races (24.93 %). Stearic acid was lowest on the aver- age of investigated races from Gazira which had (10.855 %), while was highest in investigated races from Gedarif (14.50 %). The variability in the fatty acid composition is very high resulting from a broad genetic diversity; Study of the average fatty acid compounds studied by Soltani, (2016) on different accessions of Cucurbita pepo L. in Iran showed that oleic acid (39.24 %) was higher than linoleic (38.76 %), palmitic (11.09 %), and stearic (5.37 %), other study reported by Aktaş et al. (2018) on two types of pumpkin seeds belonging to C. pepo species, re- vealed that linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid followed by oleic acid which were ranged from (40.04 %-43.19 %) and (37.48 % -39.66 %) respectively, which were con- forms with the present study. Linoleic acid is an essential fatty acid for humans as it is required for the formation of cellular membranes, vitamin D, and various hormones (Fruhwirth & Hermetter, 2007). Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 120/1 – 2024 6 S. A. HASSAN et al. *Other fatty acids include Stearic (C18:0), Linolenic (C18:3), and Gadoleic (C20:1) Table 2: Means (%) of fatty acids composition of 23 pumpkin landraces collected from different areas of Sudan Location Race Myristic C14:0 Pentadecanoic C15:0 Palmitoleic C16:1n-7 Palmitic C16:0 Margaric C17:0 Linoleic C18:2 Oleic C18:1 Others* South Kordfan SK/A1 0.25 0.02 0.16 20.41 0.22 36.16 21.10 21.68 South Kordfan SK/A2 0.17 0.03 0.26 17.70 0.37 33.62 33.20 14.65 South Kordfan SK/A3 0.12 0.02 0.18 16.87 0.36 39.98 28.84 13.63 South Kordfan SK/A4 0.17 0.02 0.12 21.11 0.20 38.38 23.85 15.70 South Kordfan SK/A5 0.17 0.02 0.12 20.68 0.19 36.11 26.89 15.82 South Kordfan SK/A6 0.17 0.01 0.13 21.29 0.23 34.95 28.32 14.90 South Kordfan SK/A7 0.14 0.02 0.23 17.56 0.30 37.77 29.74 14.24 South Kordfan SK/A8 0.13 0.01 0.16 19.08 0.21 35.96 30.62 13.83 South Kordfan SK/A9 0.21 0.02 0.19 17.68 0.36 35.95 30.70 14.89 South Kordfan SK/A10 0.13 0.02 0.22 17.04 0.31 34.87 32.50 14.91 Mean (SK) 0.17 0.02 0.18 18.87 0.28 36.38 28.58 15.52 North Kordfan NK/A11 0.24 0.03 0.18 16.71 0.29 34.39 33.59 14.57 North Kordfan NK/A12 0.31 0.03 0.21 22.44 0.34 34.14 24.52 18.01 Mean (NK) 0.28 0.03 0.20 19.58 0.32 34.27 29.10 16.22 Gezira GZ/A13 0.35 0.03 0.25 27.56 0.41 36.03 22.7 12.67 Gezira GZ/A14 0.40 0.03 0.26 24.57 0.43 35.31 18.02 20.98. Gezira GZ/A15 0.45 0.04 0.30 22.16 0.43 34.06 23.7 18.86 Gezira GZ/A16 0.44 0.04 0.27 24.45 0.32 36.81 16.28 21.39 Mean (GZ) 0.41 0.07 0.27 24.69 0.39 35.55 20.18 18.44 Gedarif GF/A17 0.49 0.03 0.29 22.97 0.4 33.62 23.38 18.82 Gedarif GF/A18 0.39 0.04 0.22 25.74 0.28 34.9 17.07 21.36 Gedarif GF/A19 0.37 0.03 0.22 26.08 0.32 33.69 16.67 22.62 Mean (GF) 0.41 0.03 0.24 24.93 0.33 34.07 19.04 20.95 White Nile WN/A20 0.42 0.04 0.3 24.3 0.38 41.58 11.03 21.95 White Nile WN/A21 0.36 0.05 0.53 21.28 0.91 38.23 18.00 20.64 Mean (WN) 0.39 0.05 0.42 22.64 0.65 39.91 14.51 21.43 Blue Nile BN/A22 0.59 0.05 0.4 24.25 0.44 38.62 13.37 22.28 Blue Nile BN/A23 0.65 0.05 0.43 23.32 0.54 33.39 22.09 19.53 Mean (BN) 0.62 0.05 0.42 23.79 0.49 36.00 17.73 20.90 Overall mean 0.31 0.03 0.25 21.53 0.36 36.02 23.75 17.75 SD 0.15 0.01 0.10 3.25 0.15 2.19 6.57 01.77 Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 120/1 – 2024 7 Seed composition, physical characteristics and mineral content of Sudanese landraces of pumpkin Table 2: Means (%) of fatty acids composition of 23 pumpkin landraces seed collected from different areas of Sudan Location Race Stearic Arachidic Behenic Squalene PUFA MUSAF SFA South Kordfan SK/A1 12.44 1.30 0.50 1.25 37.22 22.00 36.53 South Kordfan SK/A2 11.38 1.07 0.30 0.46 34.21 34.06 31.21 South Kordfan SK/A3 10.94 0.76 0.24 0.35 40.73 29.47 29.45 South Kordfan SK/A4 12.80 0.99 0.26 0.49 39.52 24.32 35.67 South Kordfan SK/A5 12.34 0.97 0.24 0.41 37.56 27.42 34.61 South Kordfan SK/A6 12.20 0.99 0.23 0.38 35.69 26.81 36.60 South Kordfan SK/A7 12.03 1.01 0.23 0.34 37.77 30.37 31.52 South Kordfan SK/A8 11.43 0.86 0.22 0.39 36.43 31.09 32.09 South Kordfan SK/A9 12.77 0.95 0.18 0.49 35.95 31.30 32.26 South Kordfan SK/A10 11.95 1.05 0.33 0.46 35.21 34.21 30.06 Mean (SK) 12.028 0.939 2730. 0.513 37.02 29.10 33.00 North Kordfan NK/A11 12.01 0.83 0.32 0.39 34.73 34.18 30.62 North Kordfan NK/A12 12.85 1.72 0.34 0.52 35.92 25.35 38.21 Mean (NK) 12.43 1.275 0.33 0.455 35.325 29.765 34.415 Gezira GZ/A13 2.24 1.94 0.57 0.71 37.14 23.66 38.39 Gezira GZ/A14 14.41 1.78 0.48 0.68 36.44 20.42 42.46 Gezira GZ/A15 12.65 2.09 0.54 0.89 35.58 24.81 36.44 Gezira GZ/A16 14.12 2.05 0.50 0.88 38.16 18.81 42.15 Mean(GZ) 10.855 1.965 0.522 0.790 36.83 21.92 39.86 Gedarif GF/A17 12.81 2.27 0.56 0.96 34.96 24.34 39.74 Gedarif GF/A18 15.04 1.76 0.47 0.80 35.9 19.3 44.00 Gedarif GF/A19 15.67 1.95 0.48 0.81 34.53 19.39 45.27 Mean (GF) 14.50 1.99 0.50 0.85 35.13 21.01 43.00 White Nile WN/A20 13.62 1.96 0.47 0.93 43.34 14.4 41.59 White Nile WN/A21 12.90 1.91 0.37 0.97 39.65 21.29 38.09 Mean(WN) 13.26 1.93 0.42 0.95 41.49 17.84 39.84 Blue Nile BN/A22 13.43 2.52 0.6 1.18 40.33 16.34 42.15 Blue Nile BN/A23 12.12 2.79 0.83 1.29 34.43 23.49 40.79 Mean (BN) 12.27 2.65 0.715 1.24 37.38 19.92 41.47 Overall mean 12.35 1.544 0.403 0.697 37.02 25.08 36.95 SD 2.487 0.0 0.162 0.304 2.352 5.738 4.824 Table 3 shows the dimensions of whole landrace pumpkin seeds. The length of seeds ranged from 11.00 mm to 20.00 mm, which was observed between the GZ (GZ/A13) and the SK (PR/A10). The width of the seeds ranged from 4.30 cm, which was obtained by the GZ (GZ/A15) and the GF (GF/A17), to 9.30 cm, which was obtained by the GF (GF/A19). The thickness of the seeds ranged from 1.333 mm, which was obtained by the BN (PR/A23), to 4.667 mm, which was obtained by the SK (SK/A9) and the NK (NK/A12). Milani et al. (2007) re- ported that seeds had lengths ranging from 12 to 14 mm, widths between 7 and 13 mm, and thicknesses ranging from 2.0 to 4.0 mm, which is moderately lower than cur- rent results. As shown in Table 3, sample from Blue Nile (BN/ A23) recorded a minimum 100 seed mass of 12.55 g. The maximum 100-seed mass was obtained from SK (SK/A7) and SK (SK/A2), with 32.2 g and 27.52 g, respectively. These results were higher than the range of 1000-seed mass recorded for different genotypes reported by Türk- men et al. (2017), which ranged from 168.9 to 196.6 g. Can-Cauich et al. (2021) reported that two pumpkin spe- cies had values of 12.00 and 25.01 g per 100 seeds, which is in accordance with the current study. Furthermore, the Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 120/1 – 2024 8 S. A. HASSAN et al. minimum and maximum mass of whole seed, kernel, and hull of landraces were determined by BN (BN/A22) and SK (SK/A7), which ranged from 0.125 g WN (WN/ A22) to 0.322 g for SK (SK/A7), 0.0802 g WN (WN/A22) to 0.2471 g for SK (SK/A7), and 0.0342 g SK (SK/A7) to This difference is attributed to the seeds’ dimensions and to embryo quality. According to the calculation of the hull to kernel ratio, the lowest ratio was observed in BN BN/A23 (1.9:1), while the highest ratio was observed in BN BN/A22 (4.02 : 1). The variability in seed index pa- rameters between the studied samples can be attributed to the variability of production area, soil type, and loca- tion genotype. The content of kernel and hull differed significantly (p < 0.001), as shown in Table (3): the highest percent of kernel with WN WN/A20 (78.45 %) and the lowest percent with BN BN/A23 (63.92 %), as it had a lower percent of kernel; BN BN/A23 had the highest percent of hull (32.36 %), while WN landrace WN/A22 had the lowest percent (18.68 %).The variation in physical char- acteristics of landrace seeds may be due to location, type of soil, and climate. Manda et al. (2018) discovered that the husk content of pumpkin seeds was 26.75 %. According to Table 4, the seeds from 23 landrace pumpkin seeds were a significant source of minerals. The most dominant minerals were potassium (K), phospho- rus (P), calcium (Ca), sodium (Na), iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), magnesium (Mg), and manganese (Mn), respectively (p < 0.05%). Potassium is the most abundant element found in the seed. The highest level of K was determined in the GF (GF/A17) at 1100 mg 100 g -1 , and the lowest level was found in the GZ (GZ/A14) at 946 mg 100 g -1 . These val- ues are higher than those reported by Rezig et al. (2012), which were 886.56 g 100 g -1 . Phosphorus (P) and calcium (Ca) were the most abundant minerals, with values vary- ing from 209 mg 100 g -1 for the GF (GF/A17) to 374 g 100 g -1 for the SK (SK/A5) and from 130 g 100 g -1 for the BN (BN/A23) to 147 g 100 g -1 for the SK (SK/A1), respectively. Phosphates play key roles as buffers that prevent changes in the acidity of body fluids. Calcium has an important role in preventing rickets, osteoporo- sis, and tachycardia (Mergedus et al., 2015). The values of phosphorus and calcium obtained from landrace pump- kin seeds were higher than those reported by Elinge et al. (2012), which were 47.680.04 mg 100 g -1 and 9.78 mg 100 g -1 , respectively, and within the range of values reported by Amoo et al. (2004) for P (224.14 mg 100 g -1 ) and Ca (29.47 mg 100 g -1 ). The concentration of sodium (Na) in landrace samples ranged from 26.99 mg 100 g -1 to 38.6 mg 100 g -1 determined by GZ (GZ/A13) and SK (SK/A4), respectively; this element is needed by the body to regu- late blood pressure and blood volume. The values obtained were within the range of the re- sult reported by Amoo et al. (2004), 29.69 mg 100 g -1 , and lower than that reported by Rezig et al. (2012), which was 356.75 mg 100 g -1 . Iron contents (Fe) were found to range from 11.2 mg 100 g -1 to 17.3 mg 100 g -1 for the NK (NK/A12) and the GZ (GZ/A16). Iron has important functions in the body. It carries oxygen through the blood (as a part of the red blood cell) to muscles and the brain, making it cru- cial for both mental and physical health and performance (Abbaspour et al., 2014). According to a joint FAO/WHO report (2005), iron deficiency is the most common nu- tritional disorder in the world. The daily value (DV) of iron is 18 mg, and one ounce (28 g) of pumpkin seeds contains 2.5 mg of iron, which is 14 % of the DV accord- ing to the FDC (2019). As a result, the iron content values obtained from this study corresponded to the DV. The values obtained in this study were higher than those re- ported by Elinge et al. (2012), which were 3.75 mg 100 g -1 , and Amoo et al. (2004), which were 4.27 mg 100 g -1 , and within the ranges of 13.66 mg 100 g -1 and 15.37 mg 100 g -1 reported by Alfawaz (2004) and Rezig et al. (2012), respectively. Landraces showed respectable amounts of magne- sium (Mg), which had a lower value in the SK (SK/A8), which was 3.9 mg 100 g -1 , and a higher value in the WN (WN/A22), which was 16.9 mg 100 g -1 . According to the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS, 2022), seeds are rich sources of magnesium. Mg has a role in the regu- lation of blood sugar levels and is involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis (Mir-Marqures et al., 2015). The values obtained were lower than those report- ed by Elinge et al. (2012) and Rezig et al. (2012), which were 67.41 mg 100 g -1 and 146.13 mg 100 g -1 , respectively. This study determined the zinc (Zn) content of lan- drace seeds ranged from 8.4 mg 100 g -1 to 16.2 mg 100 g -1 , which were obtained from the GF (GF/A19) and the SK (SK/A6), respectively. Zinc is a vital component of white blood cells (WBC), which fight infections and pre- vent susceptibility to flu, colds, and other viral infections such as COVID-19. Several clinical trials are currently investigating the use of zinc supplementation alone or in combination with hydroxychloroquine for the preven- tion and treatment of COVID-19 (Neha et al., 2020). The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for elemental zinc is 11 mg daily for men and 8.0 mg for non-pregnant women, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements (OSD, 2022). Therefore, Sudanese landrace pumpkin seeds are a rich source of zinc. These results were higher than those reported by Alfwaz et al. (2004) (1.09 g 100 g -1 ) and Amoo et al. (2004) (3.98 mg 100 g -1 ), but lower than the 25.19 mg 100 g -1 reported by Rezig et al. (2012). Manganese (Mn) was found to be the least abun- dant among all the minerals studied in these samples, Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 120/1 – 2024 9 Seed composition, physical characteristics and mineral content of Sudanese landraces of pumpkin which ranged from 3.3 mg 100 g -1 to 6.8 mg 100 g -1 ob- tained by the GZ (GZ/A15) and the SK (SK/A10) seeds, respectively. The values obtained were higher than those obtained by Elinge et al. (2015) (0.060.01 mg 100 g -1 ) and Amoo et al. (2004) (1.79 mg 100 g -1 ), and within the range of the value (3.42 mg 100 g -1 ) obtained by Rezig et al. (2012). The differences in mineral composition could be due to the climate, species, or soil type. Table 3: Means of seed characters of 23 pumpkin landraces collected from different areas of Sudan Location Pumpkin Race pear Area Length mm Thickness mm Width mm Mass 100 Seed (g) Mass Whole Seed (g) Mass Kernel (g) Mass Hull (g) % Kernel % hull Hull: Kernel S.Kordfan SK/A1 13.00 eh 2. 667 d 5. 70 d 17.40 jk 0.1740 jk 0.1314 0.0372 75.57 ad 21.39 gh 3.5:1 S.Kordfan SK/A2 17.00 b 3. 667 ad 6. 00 d 27.52 b 0.2752 b 0.1794 0.0828 65.19 h 30.09 b 2.1:1 S.Kordfan SK/A3 15.00 be 2. 667 d 5. 00 e 25.19 d 0.2519 d 0.1905 0.0626 75.60 ad 24.85 d 3.1:1 S.Kordfan SK/A4 13.67 dg 2. 667 d 4. 70 e 15.7l 1 0.1571 l 0.1191 0.0365 75.83 ad 23.24 e 3.2:1 S.Kordfan SK/A5 12.33 gh 2. 667 cd 5. 70 d 18.25 hi 0.1825 hi 0.1300 0.0449 71.31 fg 24.63 d 2.8:1 S.Kordfan SK/A6 15.67 bd 3. 333 bd 5. 00 e 20.21 g 0.2020 g 0.1475 0.0463 73.06 cf 22.93 ef 3.1:1 S.Kordfan SK/A7 19.67 a 4. 333 ab 8. 30 b 32.21 a 0.3222 a 0.2471 0.0751 76.69 ab 23.31 e 3.2:1 S.Kordfan SK/A8 16.33 bc 4. 333 ab 7. 30 c 15.45 i 0.1544 l 0.1175 0.0362 76.10 ac 23.44 e 3.2:1 S.Kordfan SK/A9 19.67 a 4. 667 a 9. 30 a 26.03 c 0.2605 c 0.1873 0.0736 71.90 eg 28.27 c 2.5:1 S.Kordfan SK/A10 20.00 a 3. 333 bd 9. 00 a 24.40 e 0.2440 e 0.1841 0.0621 75.93 ac 25.45 d 2.9:1 Mean (SK) 16.234 3.433 6. 60 22.237 0.22238 0.163 0.055 73.718 24.76 N.Kordfan NK/A11 12.67 fh 3. 667 ad 5. 00 e 22.92 f 0.2291 f 74.10b f 22.92 ef 3.2:1 N.Kordfan NK/A12 12.67 fh 4. 667 a 5. 30 e 23.42 f 0.2342 f 0.1697 0.0525 74.84 be 22.08 fg 3.3:1 Mean(NK) 12.67 4.167 5. 15 23.17 0.23165 0.1752 0.0517 74.47 22.5 Gezira GZ/A13 11.00 h 4. 00 abc 4. 70f 20.22 g 0.2022 g 73.00 cf 20.47 i 3.5:1 Gezira GZ/A14 11.33 h 3. 33 bd 5. 00 e 17.58 ik 0.1757 ik 0.1467 0.0414 72.74 df 23.69 e 3.07:1 Gezira GZ/A15 11.00 h 3. 00 cd 4. 30 f 16.12 l 0.1612 l 0.1277 0.0407 71.49 fg 22.30 f 3.2:1 Gezira GZ/A16 12.33 gh 3. 00 cd 5. 00 e 16.89 k 0.1689 k 0.1151 0.0359 69.23 g 22.27 f 3.1:1 Mean(GZ) 11.4 3.33 4. 75 17.70 0.177 0.1169 0.0376 71.615 22.18 Gedarif GF/A17 12.00 gh 3. 667 ad 4. 30 f 15.71 l 0.1575 l 74.75 be 23.29 e 3.2:1 Gedarif GF/A18 11.67 gh 3. 000 cd 4. 70 f 15.84 l 0.1584 l 76.77 ab 22.10 fg 3.4:1 Gedarif GF/A19 12.67 fh 3.000 cd 5. 00 e 14.02 m 0.1402 m 0.1177 0.0375 74.13 bf 25.06 d 2.9:1 Mean (GF) 12.1 3. 22 4. 66 f 15.19 0.15 0.1216 0.035 75.21 23.48 W . Nile WN/A20 12.33 gh 3. 000 cd 6.00 d 17.98 hj 0.1797 hj 0.1039 0.0349 78.45 a 20.64 hi 3.8:1 W . Nile WN/A21 14.67 cf 3. 333 bd 5. 70 d 27.30 b 0.2729 b 75.75 ad 23.23 e 3.2:1 Mean(WN) 13.5 3. 16 5. 85 d 22.64 0.2263 77.1 21.94 Blue Nile BN/A22 12.00 gh 3. 000 cd 4. 70 d 18.38 h 0.1838 h 0.141 0.0371 75.24 bd 18.68 j 4.02:1 Blue Nile BN/A23 12.00 gh 1. 333 e 4. 70 d 12.55 n 0.1255 n 0.2067 0.0634 63.92 h 32.36 a 1.9:1 Mean(BN) 12.00 2.16 4. 70 d 15.46 0.1546 69.58 25.52 Overall mean 13.94 3. 32 0.5681 20.05 0.2006 73.55 23.77 SE± 0.0656 0.039 0.044 0.233 0.002 0.1382 0.0342 0.92 0.28 C.V% 8.1 20.2 13.5 2.0 2.0 0.0802 0.0406 2.2 2.1 *Means followed by the same letter/s are not significantly different using DMRT Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 120/1 – 2024 10 S. A. HASSAN et al. 4 CONCLUSİONS The results of this study show that Sudanese landra- ce pumpkin seeds are rich in oil, protein, and minerals. The data revealed that there were significant differences in seed characteristics and mineral content among land- races from six states; the results of the oil content deter- mination revealed that pumpkin seeds can be used as a promising source of edible oil and protein for food for- Table 4: Means of minerals of 23 pumpkin landraces seeds* collected from different areas of Sudan (mg 100 g -1 ) Location Pumpkin Ca Fe K Mg Mn Na P Zn South Kordfan SK/A1 147 a 13.9 be 992 b 7.3 cd 4.8 bf 35.9 ae 370 a 12.5 bg South Kordfan SK/A2 143 ab 15.4 ad 989 b 7.1 de 6.2 ac 37.7 ac 373 a 13.4 ae South Kordfan SK/A3 143 ab 15.4 ad 989 b 7.1 de 5.3 ae 37.7 ac 373 a 15.5 ab South Kordfan SK/A4 138 ch 14.2 ae 959 b 5.5 df 4.9 bf 38.6 a 367 a 13.6 ae South Kordfan SK/A5 141 bc 14.7 ae 981 b 4.6 df 4.9 bf 36.4 ad 374 a 14.6 ad South Kordfan SK/A6 139 be 15.4 ad 954 b 6.0 df 6.2 ac 35.3 ae 264 g 16.21 a South Kordfan SK/A7 140 bd 12.6 df 955 b 5.6 df 5.9 ac 36.2 ad 276 fg 14.8 ac South Kordfan SK/A8 137 ch 15.1 ad 978 b 3.9 f 4.8 bf 38 ab 282 eg 12.8 bf South Kordfan SK/A9 136 dh 12.8 df 982 b 5.7 df 6.4 ab 33.2 af 325 bc 12.0 ch South Kordfan SK/A10 139 be 9.85 f 977 b 5.6 df 6.8 a 30.3 eg 304 ce 12.4 bg Mean (SK) 140.3 13.935 975.6 5.84 5.62 35.93 330.8 13.781 North Kordfan NK/A11 134 gi 12.8 df 1042 a 4.5 ef 5.6 ad 32.8 bf 314 cd 12.2 ch North Kordfan NK/A12 135 fi 11.2 ef 978b 5.7 df 4.4 cf 28.5 fg 272 fg 9.8 fi Mean (NK) 134.5 12 1010 5.1 5 30.65 293 11 Gezira GZ/A13 137 ch 12.1 df 987 b 5.6 df 3.6 ef 26.99 g 285 eg 9.9 fi Gezira GZ/A14 137 ch 12.7 df 946 b 4.5 ef 5.2 af 31.2 dg 320 c 10.6 ei Gezira GZ/A15 139 be 16.9 ab 983 b 5.9 df 3.3 f 34.8 ae 265 fg 9.9 fi Gezira GZ/A16 136d h 17.3 a 977 b 4.8 df 3.4 f 32.5 cf 271 fg 9.4 gi Mean (GZ) 137.25 14.75 973.25 5.2 3.875 31.3725 165.1857 9.95 Gedarif GF/A17 133 hi 16.4 ac 1100 a 6.2 df 3.4 f 33.98 af 209 h 16.22 a Gedarif GF/A18 133 h i 14.7 ae 987 b 5.8 df 3.9 df 34.4 ae 319 c 8.99 hi Gedarif GF/A19 134 gi 14.5 ae 982 b 6.2 df 4.4 cf 35.5 ae 303 ce 8.4 i Mean (GF) 133.3 15.2 1023 6.06 3.9 34.62 277 11.203 White Nile WN/A20 138ch 14.9 ad 987 b 9.5 c 5.1 af 30.9 dg 348 ab 11.11 ei White Nile WN/A21 135ei 12.2 df 992 b 13.9 b 3.6 ef 32.95 bf 352 a 11.5 di Mean(WN) 136.5 13.55 989.5 11.7 4.35 31.9 350 11.305 Blue Nile BN/A22 134 gi 12.0 df 961 b 16.9 a 3.4 f 30.8 dg 291 df 8.67 i Blue Nile BN/A23 130 i 13.0 cf 1015 a 13.0 b 3.6 ef 34.4 ae 350 a 9.53 fi Mean (BN) 132 12.5 988 14.95 3.5 32.6 320.5 9.1 Overall mean 137.4 13.91 986.8 7.00 4.75 33.88 313.3 11.90 SE± 1.51 1.01 31.17 0.78 0.545 1.65 8.26 0.97 C.V% 1.9 12.6 5.5 19.4 19.9 8.5 4.6 14.2 *Means followed by the same letter/s are not significantly different using DMRT tification. More studies are recommended on pumpkin seeds, and more attention and care should be taken for pumpkin cultivation to produce seeds for oil production. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research project is one of the selected projects of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Re- Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 120/1 – 2024 11 Seed composition, physical characteristics and mineral content of Sudanese landraces of pumpkin search-Sudan (MOHE). The authors thank the Board of Scientific Research and Innovation SCRIS of MOHE for approval and financing this research. 6 REFERENCES AOAC (1989). Official method of Analysis (14th Ed). Washing- ton DC, USA: Association of Official Analytical Chemists. AOAC (1990). Official method of Analysis (15th Ed). Arlington, V A, Inc, USA: Association of Official Analytical Chemists. AOCS (1991). Official Methods and Recommended Practices (7th Ed), Association of Oil Chemists Society, Urbana, USA. AOAC (1995). Official method of Analysis (16th Ed). Washing- ton, DC, USA: Association of Official Analytical Chemists. AOAC (2003). Official method of Analysis (17th Ed). Arlington, Virginia, USA. Association of Official Analytical Chemists. https://doi.org/10.1002/0471740039.vec0284 AOCS, (2017). Official Methods and Recommended Practices (7th Ed), Association of Oil Chemists Society, Urbana, USA. https://doi.org/10.1002/lipi.19970990510 Abbaspour, N., Hurrell, R., & Kelishadi, R. (2014). Review on iron and its importance for human health. Journal of Re- search in Medical Sciences, 19, 164-74. PMID: 24778671; PMCID: PMC3999603. Achu, B. M., Fokou, E., & Martin, F. (2005). Nutritive value of some cucurbitaceae oilseeds from different regions in Cam- eroon. African Journal of Biotechnology, 4(11), 1329-1334. Ajayi, I. A., Oderinde, R. A., Kajogbola, D. O., & Uponi, J. I., (2006). Oil content and fatty acid composition of some underutilized legumes from Nigeria. Food Chemistry, 99, 115–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2005.06.045 Aktaş, N., Gerçekaslan, K. E., & Uzlaşır, T. (2018). The effect of some pre-roasting treatments on quality characteristics of pumpkin seed oil. OCL, 25(3). https://doi.org/10.1051/ ocl/2018025 Al-Anoos, I. M., El-dengawy, R., A., & Hand Hasanin, H.A. (2015). Studies on chemical composition of some Egyptian and Chinese pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) seed varieties. Journal of Plant Science & Research, 2(2), 1-4. Alfawaz, M. (2004). Chemical Composition and Oil Charac- teristics of Pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) Seed Kernels. Food Science and Agriculture, 2(1), 5-18. Amin, M. Z., Tehera, I., Farhana, M., M., Jashim, U. M. M., & Rahman, M. A. S., (2019). Comparative assessment of the physicochemical and biochemical properties of native and hybrid varieties of pumpkin seed and seed oil (Cucurbita maxima Linn.). Heliyon, 5, 12, https://doi.org/10.1016/j. heliyon.2019.e02994 Amoo, I., Eleyinmi, A., Ilelaboye, N., & Akoja, S. (2004). Char- acterization of oil extracted from gourd (Cucurbita maxi- ma) seed, Journal of Food Agriculture and Environment, 2, 38-39. Ardabili, A. G., Farhoosh, R., & Khodaparast, M. H. H. (2011). Chemical composition and physicochemical properties of pumpkin seeds (Cucurbita pepo var. Styriaka) grown in Iran. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 13, 1053-1063. Balkaya, A., Özbakır, M., & Karaağaç, O. (2010). Pattern of variation for seed characteristics in Turkish populations of Cucurbita moschata Duch. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 5(10), 1068–1076. Can-Cauich, C. A., Sauri-Duch, E., Cuevas-Glory, L. F., Betan- cur-Ancona, D., Ortiz-Vázquez, E., Ríos-Soberanis, C. R., Chel-Guerrero, L., González-Aguilar, G. A., & Moo- Huchin, V . M. (2021). Physicochemical properties and sta- bility of pumpkin seed oil as affected by different extraction methods and species. International Food Research Journal, 28(1), 148 - 160. https://doi.org/10.47836/ifrj.28.1.15 El-Adawy, T. A., & Taha, K. M. (2001). Characteristics and composition of watermelon, pumpkin, and paprika seed oils and flours. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 49, 1253–1259. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf001117 Elinge, C. M., Muhammad, A., Atiku, F. A., Itodo, A. U., Peni, I. J., & Sanni, O. M. (2012). Proximate, mineral, and anti- nutrient composition of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L) seeds extract. International Journal of Plant Research, 2(5), 146- 150. https://doi.org/10.9790/5736-0452528 FAO/WHO (2005). Vitamin and Mineral Requirements in Hu- man Nutrition (2nd Ed); W orld Health Organization library: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/puplication/2005/9241593261. FAO (2020). Pumpkin production in Sudan. https://knoema. com, https://faostat.fao.org/collection. FDC (2019). Seeds, pumpkin, and squash seed kernels. https:// fdc.nal.usda.gov>fdc-app. Food Data Central-USDA. Ferriol, M., Pico, M., B., & Nuez, F. (2003). Genetic di- versity of some accessions of Cucurbita maxima from Spain using RAPD and SBAP markers. Genetic Re- sources and Crop Evolution, 50, 227–238. https://doi. org/10.1023/A:1023502925766 Fruhwirth, G. O., & Hermetter, A. (2007). Seeds and oil of the Styrian oil pumpkin: components and biological activi- ties. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, 109, 1128-1140. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejlt.200700105 Ghanbari, A., Nadjafi, F., & Shabahang, J. (2007). Effects of ir- rigation regimes and row arrangement on yield, yield com- ponents and seed quality of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo L.). Asian Journal of Plant Science, 6(7), 1072-1079. https://doi. org/10.3923/ajps.2007.1072.1079 Gen Stat, (2014). GenStat (17th Edition). GenStat Procedure Library Release PL25.1 (PC/Windows 7) 22 January 2014 16:12:49. Copyright 2014, VSN International Ltd. Gorjanović, S., Rabrenović, B., Novaković, M., Dimić, E., Basić, Z., & Sužnjević, D. (2011). Cold pressed pumpkin seed oil antioxidant activity as determined by a dc polarographic assay based on hydrogen peroxide scavenge. Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, 88, 1875-1882. https://doi. org/10.1007/s11746-011-1863-3 Hammond, S. H., & Tano-Debrah, K. (2014). Nutrient compo- sition and protein quality of four species of the Curcubita- ceae family. Advance Journal of Food Science and Technol- ogy, 6(7), 843-851. https://doi.org/10.19026/ajfst.6.122 Acta agriculturae Slovenica, 120/1 – 2024 12 S. A. HASSAN et al. Hernandez, S. M., Merrick, C. L., & Eguiarter, L. (2005). Main- tenance of squash (Cucurbita spp.) landrace diversity by farmers activities in Mexico. Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 52, 697–707. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722- 003-6018-4 Idouraine, A., Kohlhepp, E. A., & Weber, C. W . (1996). Nutrient constituents from eight lines of naked seed squash (Cucur- bita pepo L.). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 44, 721–724 16. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf950630y Jafari, M., Goli, S. A. H., & Rahimmalek, M. (2012). The chemi- cal composition of the seeds of Iranian pumpkin cultivars and physicochemical characteristics of the oil extract. Eu- ropean Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, 114(2), 161- 167. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejlt.201100102 Manda, N., Devi, R., Prasad, V ., & Gaibimei, P . (2018). Physico- chemical characterisation of pumpkin seeds. International Journal of Chemical Studies, 6(5), 828-831. Mergedus, A., Kristl, J., Ivančič, A., Sober, A., Šuštar, V ., Križan, T., & Lebot, V. (2015). Variation of mineral composition in different parts of taro (Colocasia esculenta) corms. Food Chemistry, 170, 37–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.food- chem.2014.08.025 Mir-Marqures, A. A. Domingo, A., Cervera, M. L., & Guar- dia, M. (2015). Mineral profile of khaki fruits (Diospy- ros khaki L.). Food Chemistry, 172, 291–297. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.09.076 Milani, E., Razavi, S.M.A., Koocheki, A., Nikzadeh, V., Via- hedi, N., MoenFard, M., & Gholmhossein P. A. (2007). Moisture dependent physical properties of cucurbit seeds. International Agrophysics, 21,157-168. https://doi. org/10.2202/1556-3758.1822 Mohmmed, A., K. (215). Physicochemical characteristics of pumpkin seed oil. B.Sc. Thesis, Sudan University of Science and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan. Neha, K., Soma, M., Ghorai, P., Kumar, K., Richa, Sh., Charu, A., & Rakeshwar, B. (2020). Plausible mechanisms explain- ing the role of cucurbitacins as potential therapeutic drugs against coronavirus 2019. Informatics in Medicine Unlocked, 21, 100484. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imu.2020.100484 Nerson, N. H., Paris, H. S. &, Paris, E., P., (2000). Fruit shape, size, and seed yield in Cucurbita pepo. Proc. Cucurbitaceae. In: Katzirand, N., Paris, H.S. (Eds.), Acta Horticulturae, pp. 227–230. https://doi.org/10.17660/actahortic.2000.510.36 Odoemelam, S. A. (2005). Proximate composition and selected physicochemical properties of the seed of African oil bean (Pentaclethra macrophylla). Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 4, 382- 383. https://doi.org/10.3923/pjn.2005.382.383 Olaofe, O., Adeyemi, F. O., & Adediran, G. O. (1994). Amino acid and mineral compositions and functional properties of some oilseeds. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 42(4), 878-881. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf00040a007 ODS (2022). Zinc fact sheet for health professionals. Office of Dietary Supplement., National Institutes of Health. https:// ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/.URL Access date: June2, 2022. ODS (2022). Magnesium Fact Sheet for Health Professional. Of- fice of Dietary Supplement, National Institutes of Health. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfession- al/.URL Access date: June2, 2022. Püskülcü, H. & Kiz, F . (1989). Introduction to statistics. Bilgehan Press, Bornova, p 333 (in Turkish). Rezig, L., Moncef, Ch., Kamel, M., & Salem, H. (2012). Chemi- cal composition and profile characterization of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) seed oil. Industrial Crops and Products, 37(1), 82-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2011.12.004 Reza, D., Vahideh, N., Forouzandeh S., Majid, Sh., & Marria, R. E. (2018). Genetic diversity of Cucurbita pepo L. and Cu- curbita moschata Duchesne accessions using fruit and seed quantitative traits. Journal of Applied Research on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, 8, 60–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. jarmap.2017.11.003 Rezig, L., Chouaibi, M., Meddeb, W ., Msaada, K., & Hamdi, S. (2019). Chemical composition and bioactive compounds of Cucurbitaceae seeds: potential sources for new trends of plant oils. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 127, 73–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2019.05.005 Smith, T. J. (2000). Squalene: potential chemopreventive agent. Expert Opinion on Investigational Drugs, 9(8), 1841-1848. https://doi.org/10.1517/13543784.9.8.1841 Soltani, F., Karimi, R., & Kashi, A. (2016). Essential oil compo- sition and total phenolic compounds of naked and normal seed types of different accessions of Cucurbita pepo L. in Iran. Iranian Journal of Plant Physiology, 7(1), 1889-1897. Steiner-Asiedu, M., Nuro-Ameyaw, P., Agbemafle I., Ham- mond, S.H., & Tano-Debrah, K. (2014). Nutrient composi- tion and protein quality of four species of the Curcubitace- ae family. Advance Journal of Food Science and Technology, 6(7), 843-851. https://doi.org/10.19026/ajfst.6.122 Stevenson, D. G., Eller, F. J.; Wang, L., Jane, J. L., Wang, T., & Inglett, G. E. (2007). Oil and tocopherol content and com- position of pumpkin seed oil in 12 cultivars. Journal of Ag- ricultural and Food Chemistry, 55, 4005–4013. https://doi. org/10.1021/jf0706979 Syed, Q. A., Akram, M., & Shukat, R. (2019). Nutritional and therapeutic importance of pumpkin seeds. Biomedical Jour- nal of Scientific & Technical Research, 21(2), 15798-15803. https://doi.org/10.26717/bjstr.2019.21.003586 Türkmen, Ö. M., Özcan, M., Seymen, M., Paksoy, M., Uslu, N., & Fidan, S. (2017). Physico-chemical properties and fatty acid compositions of some edible pumpkin seed genotypes and oils. Journal of Agroalimentary Processes and Technolo- gies, 23(4), 229-235. Ziyada, A. K., & Elhussien, S.A. (2008). Physical and chemical characteristics of Citrullus lanatus var. colocynthoide seed oil. Journal of Physical Science, 19, 69–75.