The Bioactive Compounds and Fatty Acid Profile of Bitter Apple Seed Oil Obtained in Hot, Arid Environments

Bitter apple or tumba (Citrullus colocynthis L.) is a prostrate annual herb belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family. It highly tolerant against multiple abiotic stresses like drought, heat, and soil salinity can easily grow on very marginal soil, even sand dunes in hot, arid regions. Tumba fruit fleshy berry 5–10 cm diameter of pale yellow color at ripening. The used this research was harvested from ICAR-CIAH, Bikaner farm. seeds were separated, their oil extracted analyze its physical characteristics composition (phytochemical compounds, fatty acid profile, etc.). contained 23–25% golden-yellow-colored with specific gravity 0.92 g/mL. appreciable amounts phytochemical (bioactive) compounds phenolics (5.39 mg GAE/100 g), flavonoids (938 catechin eq./100 carotenoids (79.5 mg/kg), oryzanol (0.066%), lignans (0.012%), along 70–122 AAE/100 g total antioxidant activity (depending determination method). results profiling carried out by GC-MS/MS demonstrated that seed about 70% unsaturated acids more than 51% polyunsaturated acids. mainly linoleic (C18:2n6; 50.3%), followed oleic (C18:1n9; 18.0%), stearic (C18:0; 15.2%), palmitic (C16:0; 12.4%). Therefore, be considered as good source essential omega-6 (linoleic acid), whereas it contains lower concentration omega-3 (?-linolenic acid) hydroxy In addition, also some odd chain pentadecanoic heptadecanoic (C15:0 C17:0, respectively), which have recently been bioactive reducing risk cardiometabolic diseases. study suggest several health-promoting nutraceutical properties; hence, an excellent dietary source.