Mechanization of melon processing and novel extraction technologies: A short review

Melons belong to a broad plant family called cucurbit that is rich in oils, proteins, fiber, ash, carbohydrate, and minerals. Melon is cultivated and consumed as food in West Africa and the rest of the world. It is presently a possible source of oil to produce biodiesel in some parts of the world, and this makes it a valuable crop of economic importance. This paper provides an overview of the mechanical and novel methods of egusi melon processing to extract valuable health-promoting compounds and lipids for food and biofuel uses. Manual processing of egusi melon is complicated and poses health concerns, so mechanization is inevitable. Appropriate technologies and smart mechanization processes must be developed to obtain high-quality products from egusi processing. Additionally, the engineering properties of egusi melon fruits, seeds, and kernels have been presented as these are important to designing and fabricating machines for various stages of egusi melon processing. Further studies and more technological drives are required in the mechanization of each stage of egusi melon processing to improve the production and competitiveness of this crop considerably. The engineering properties of egusi melon are to be incorporated into the machines' design for its mechanization, as this would further improve their efficiencies. Also, to further mechanize the processing of egusi melon, the planting and harvesting operations need to be mechanized. The computerization of the design of the machines with the incorporation of the engineering properties of egusi melon is highly recommended.