The Chemistry of a Cantaloupe

Introduction

Cantaloupe is a small melon with a orange flesh inside, with a brownish outer skin. It grows on the ground through vines. The skin of a cantaloupe contains a harmful bacteria called salmonella. Cantaloupes can range in size from .05-5 kilograms that is 1-11 pounds. In a single cantaloupe 8.16 grams of carbohydrates, 7.86 grams of sugar, .9 grams of dietary fiber,0.19 grams of fat and finally .84 grams of fat. These fruit are normally eaten as a fresh fruit or eaten in a dessert or salad.

The United States and India’s cantaloupes are normally known as the muckmelon. Muskmelons and rockmelons usually are known from Australia and New Zealand. Sweet melon and spanspeak melons are from South Africa.

Composition of ...

There are nine vitamins in cantaloupe. Thiamine (B2),Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Pantothenic acid (B5), Vitamin B (B6), Folate (B9), Choline, Vitamin C and finally Vitamin K. At 44 percent, vitamin c has the highest percentage out of all of these vitamins in a single Cantaloupe.

Minerals in a cantaloupe include one percent calcium, two percent iron, three percent magnesium, two percent phosphorus, six percent potassium, one percent sodium, and two percent zinc.Cantaloupes are also 90 percent water.

Main Chemicals, Compounds, Components

Compounds Elements

-Thiamine C12H17N4OS+ -Calcium

-Riboflavin C17H20N4O6 -Iron

-Niacin C6H5NO2 -Magnesium

-Pantothenic acid C9H17NO5 -Phosphorous

-Vitamin C C6H8O6 -Potassium

-Vitamin B C63H88CoN14O14P -Sodium

-Folate C19H19N7O6 -Zinc

-Choline C5H14NO -water H20

-Vitamin K C31H46O2

Chemistry's Role

Sense there are so many chemicals, components, and compounds in a Cantaloupe, Im going to focus on Pantothenic acid, Vitamin K, and water. Vitamin K is a group of compounds.

Vitamin K is a group of compounds. This compound prevents excessive bleeding and it also helps blood clot. The most important compounds in Vitamin K are vitamin k1, you get this from eating green vegetables and vitamin k2 you may receive this from animal product like eggs,meat and milk.

Pantothenic acid is a water soluble vitamin. Pantothenic acid is also known as vitamin B5. It is a vitamin that is normally taken by mouth.The normal amount for an adult is five milligrams but some mic. That’s. To. I people need up to ten grams.Taking too much of vitamin B5 can lead to diarrhea. Vitamin B5 helps humans use their carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids properly.This vitamin is found in nearly every food a person eats. A person may take pantothenic acid for many things including alcoholism, baldness, depression, dietary reasons, heart failure and many many more.

Last but not least water also known as H2O. This is a transparent liquid that has no taste, no smell, and has no color. Humans use water in almost all of their cells, organs, and tissues. That explains why a human body is 60 percent water. H2O helps regulate the temperature of a human body. The body also uses water to help cushion bones, joints, and your spinal cord. The most important organ the water helps cushion is the brain. It also helps maintain bodily functions including digestion and sweating. Without water will reduce the amount of blood in a person’s body. This makes a person’s heart work harder. Without water your body will become very dehydrated. In severe cases it may put a person in a coma or they can die.

Resources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantaloupe

-This source is where I go the definition of the word cantaloupe.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cantaloupe

-This source is where I got the information on the amount of minerals and vitamins. I also got the percentages of each mineral from the this source. The types of cantaloupe and the size is also included in this source.

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jf0005768

-I read this source but I only used the information on how many chemicals had already been discovered and how many additional chemicals scientists have figured out that are in a cantaloupe.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solid-phase_microextraction

-I used this source for the definition and procedure of (SPME).

https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/supplement-guide-vitamin-k#1

http://inrtracker.com/nutrients/vitamin-k-in-melons-cantaloupe-raw

-The information on vitamin k is from this source.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantothenic_acid

https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/natural/853.html

-This is where I found information on Pantothenic acid.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water

http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/need-drink-water-4301.html

-These two sites are where I got my information on water

About the Author

Emma Binstock is a junior at Billings Senior High. She enjoys math and science and she wants to go into a science career. She hopes to go to college somewhere warm. Emma chose Cantaloupe because it is her favorite fruit and she wants to learn more about the chemistry of it.