BIOCHEMICAL STUDIES ON WATERMELON RINDS AGAINST ACUTE NEPHROTOXICITY AND HEPATOTOXICITY

Abstract

The present study was carried out to highlight the protective effect of watermelon rind against dimethoate induced nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. Proximate analysis of watermelon rinds in dry weight and some phytochemical screening and HPLC quantitative analyses of phenolic compounds, flavonoids and organic acids in water extract (WE) and ethanolic extract (EE) of watermelon rinds were determined. Amino acids were analyzed by amino acid analyzer. The results showed that moisture content, ash, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber and total hydrosable carbohydrate were 14.80, 16.50, 15.3, 1.8, 13.60 and 38.20% respectively. Also phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins and vitamin C were 14.88 mg/g, 2.55 mg/g, 2.11 mg/100g and 6.65 mg/100g respectively in water extract and 13.66 mg/g, 2.34 mg/g, 1.52 mg/100g and 5.22 mg/100g respectively in ethanolic extract. Catechol, epicatechein, e-vanillic, pyrogallol and salycilic were identified by HPLC at highly levels in phenolic compounds in WE and EE. While hisperidin and narengin were the major flavonoids identified by HPLC in both extracts (WE, EE). Citric, D, L malic, acetic and propenoic acids were main organic acids detected by HPLC in WE and EE. Lysin, arginine, valine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid and proline were a much higher amino acids identified by amino acid analyzer.