Extraction and Purification of Total Phenolic Content (TPC) from Seeds of Citrullus lanatus

Abstract

Citrullus lanatus is commonly known as Watermelon and belongs to Cucurbitaceae family. The phytochemicals are present in every part of the plant. Fruit is edible part of the plant. Watermelon fruit consists of flesh (68%), seeds (2%) and rind approximately 30% of the total mass of the fruit Phenolic compound content levels are very high and acts as anti-oxidants. the seeds also contain phytochemical elements such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and amino acids, vitamin C, lycopene, β-carotene, terpenoids, cardiac glycosides steroid hormones, carotenoids, lipids, oils and five kind of amino acid. This plant shows various pharmacological activites like anti-cancer ac, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and anti-diabetic activities etc. In this research, Total phenolic content was enhanced from seeds of Citrullus lanatus. In the batch extraction process, the optimitization of physico-chemical parameters are involved for extraction of TPC. Different Solvents, percentage solvents, time, pH and particle mesh sizes are associated to the extraction process of TPC. Here, the optimum parameters are methanol, 100% solvent, 36 hrs, pH-5 and 72 mesh size. The TPC concentration was found to be 28µg/ml in this batch extraction. Similarly, the TPC concentration was increased in the soxhlet extraction process and its concentration was 34µg/ml. Finally, the concentration of TPC was enhanced from the column chromatography and its concentration was 36µg/ml.