Melon Seed Oils as Rich Sources of Linoleic and Oleic Acids: An Upcycling Approach for Food Applications

Melon (Cucumis melo L.) is a fruit from the Cucurbitaceae family that is very popular due to its pleasant taste. The fruit is used in industry to produce juices and pulps, and the seeds are generally discarded as waste. To apply the concepts of circular economy (upcycling) and enable the use of this agro-industrial waste, this work presents a study on the use of oil extracted from the seeds of three melon varieties supplied by a company operating in the Jaguaribe Valley, Ceará, Brazil. The main objective of this study was to comparatively evaluate the fatty acid composition of seed oils from three melon cultivars (yellow melon, Piel de Sapo melon, and cantaloupe melon) as a source of fatty acids for food purposes and with gastronomic potential. Gas chromatography (GC) analysis of the fatty acid profile indicated the presence of linolenic acid (ω-3), linoleic acid (ω-6), and oleic acid (ω-9) in the oils obtained. PCA and heat map analyses showed distinct characteristics in the fatty acid profile for each melon variety: the yellow and Piel de Sapo melons showed a higher content of saturated fatty acids (SFA) and less diversity of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA); the Piel de Sapo melon showed a predominance of oleic and linoleic acids; the cantaloupe melon showed the highest levels of linolenic acid among the three cultivars. This study is relevant to the food industry because it presents an unconventional and sustainable source of essential fatty acids.