ABSTRACT
Egusi melon is an annual herbaceous, monoecious plant which is grown mostly in typical regions. Egusi melon is a good source of protein with up to 17 amino acids present, 9 of which are essential. The seeds of the melon were defatted by extracting the oil to obtain the flour. The flour was analyzed for its amino acid content for a period of 0- 3 months and the following ranges were obtained, Leucine 6.16-6.22 g/100g, Lysine 3.26-2.82g/100g, Isoleucine 4.82-4.65 g/100g, Phenylalanine 4.43-4.39 g/100g, Tryptophan 1.47 g/100g, Valine 4.01-4.56 g/100g, Methionine 2.40-2.58 g/100g, Proline 3.10-2.69 g/100g, Arginine 13.13-13.99 g/100g, Tyrosine 2.42-2.83 g/100g, Histidine 2.26-2.36 g/100g, Cysteine 1.20-1.54 g/100g, Alanine 4.51-4.68 g/100g, Glutamic acid 12.94-13.77 g/100g, Glycine 4.58-4.63 g/100g, Threonine 3.02-3.32 g/100g, Serine 3.43-3.32 g/100g, and Aspartic acid 8.12-8.38 g/100g. All results obtained correlated with the recommended dietary allowance for amino acid content. The defatted melon seed flour was used to fortify wheat flour, which was then used to produce peanut snacks. The fortified flour was found to produce snacks with improved nutritional value, as well as good sensory properties, such as taste, texture, and appearance. Overall, the results showed that defatted melon seed flour is a promising ingredient for the fortification of wheat flour, and it can be used to improve the nutritional quality of wheat-based products, such as peanuts
