Citrulline Content of Fruit Flesh and Rind Parts in Different Watermelon Lines

Document Type : Original Research

Author
Alata Horticultural Research Institute, Mersin, Turkey.
Abstract
Citrulline is a natural antioxidant and an amino acid found in watermelon, which is eaten for its fruit flesh. In this study, citrulline content was determined in different parts of the fruit flesh and rind of four watermelon lines with varying skin colors. The fruits were divided into six parts, and samples were taken from the rind and fruit pulp for the citrulline in each part. The highest value of citrulline was obtained for the genotype with a very light green ground skin color (3.37 g kg-1), while the lowest value was obtained from the genotype with a very dark green ground skin color (2.0 g kg-1). Regarding the fruit parts, the highest value was in the third part (3.72 g kg-1), while the lowest value belonged to the second part (2.00 g kg-1). Higher citrulline values were found in the fruit flesh (3.10 g kg-1) than in the fruit rind (2.40 g kg-1).

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