Effect of Germination and Toasting on the Physicochemical Properties of Protein Concentrates from ‘Guna’ (Cucumis Melon Linn) Kernels

This study investigated the effects of germination and toasting on the physicochemical properties of protein concentrate extracted from ‘guna’ (Cucumis melon Linn) kernel. Conducted at the Department of Animal Production, Federal University of Technology, Minna, the experiment involved measuring proximate composition, physicochemical properties, and amino acid profiles, with results expressed as means of three trials ± standard deviation. The proximate analysis revealed that the untreated ‘guna’ kernel (CGK) had a crude fat content of 2.56% ± 0.01. In comparison, germinated ‘guna’ kernel (GGK) showed a moisture content of 4.13% ± 0.09. Crude fiber was 3.33% ± 0.01 in CGK, and crude protein was highest in both GGK and toasted ‘guna’ kernel (TGK) at 77.55% ± 0.04. Ash content was 2.47% ± 0.04 in CGK and TGK, while carbohydrate content was 12.17% ± 0.02 in TGK. Physicochemical parameters such as titrable acidity, total solids, yield, and dispersibility were recorded, with values including 5.30 ± 0.01 (GGK), 97.20 ± 0.76 (TGK), and 44.93 ± 0.07 (CGK), respectively. Amino acid profiling indicated that the protein concentrate contains all essential amino acids, with notable levels of isoleucine, threonine, lysine, histidine, and methionine in TGK and GGK samples. Statistical analysis using one-way ANOVA confirmed that both toasting and germination significantly improved protein content by 1.84% and 2.06%, respectively. The study recommends further research focusing on protein isolates to explore the effects of these treatments on functional properties, aiming to enhance industrial applications of ‘guna’ kernel protein concentrates.