Phytochemical, Proximate, Vitamin, and Mineral Composition of Pawpaw (Carica papaya) Seed Extract

Pawpaw (Carica papaya) is a tropical herbaceous plant whose seeds have attracted increasing attention due to their phytochemicals, minerals, and associated health benefits. This study evaluated the phytochemical, proximate, vitamin, and mineral compositions of pawpaw seed extract using standard analytical methods. Quantitative phytochemical analysis revealed high concentrations of alkaloids (19.91 ± 0.00%), phenols (7.34 ± 0.00%), flavonoids (6.17 ± 0.09%), steroids (6.14 ± 0.00%), saponins (4.77 ± 0.00%), tannins (4.63 ± 0.00%), anthocyanins (4.37 ± 0.06%), cyanogenic glycosides (3.18 ± 0.00%), cardiac glycosides (1.34 ± 0.00%), phytate (0.53 ± 0.00%), and oxalate (0.18 ± 0.00%). Proximate analysis showed that the seeds contained high levels of carbohydrates (64.62 ± 0.54%), moisture (13.09 ± 0.09%), crude protein (9.43 ± 0.40%), ash (8.54 ± 0.03%), crude fiber (2.35 ± 0.03%), and crude fat (1.12 ± 0.03%). Vitamin analysis indicated that vitamin C (68.90 ± 0.02 mg/kg) was the most abundant, followed by vitamin A (29.34 ± 0.05 mg/L) and vitamin E (9.22 ± 0.02 mg/L). Mineral composition revealed zinc as the most predominant (0.98 ± 0.00 ppm), followed by iron (0.47 ± 0.00 ppm), manganese (0.19 ± 0.00 ppm), copper (0.08 ± 0.00 ppm), nickel (0.02 ± 0.00 ppm), while lead was not detected. Overall, pawpaw seed extract was shown to be rich in phytochemicals, vitamins (A, C, and E), and essential minerals, all of which are known for their antioxidant properties and potential to scavenge free radicals.