Distribution of minerals within different regions ofCucurbita maximafruits

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Abstract
Pericarp, embryo and testae of mature squash fruits were analysed to determine whether or not 1) the fruits’ orientation to the ground had any influence on the concentration of minerals 2) different regions of the pericarp had an uneven distribution of minerals 3) there is a relationship between the mineral concentrations of seeds and nearby pericarp. Magnesium, K, Ca and P concentrations were determined by neutron activation analysis. Pericarp samples, taken from the stalk region or stigma region or placental region, were further divided into rind, middle, innermost and stringy or fuzzy samples. Seeds were separated into embryo, outer and inner testae samples. Results showed that the orientation of the fruit did not influence the concentration of the minerals in the samples. The stigma and stalk regions differed in their Ca and K concentrations in the middle and innermost samples. The placental mineral concentrations did not differ from the other regions. Potassium and Ca were more concentrated in pericarp samples than in embryo samples whereas P and Mg had the opposite relationship.