Acetone powders prepared from dormant and germinating seedlings of Cucumeropsis edulis contained an active lipase system which showed increasing lipase activity with germination. Kinetic properties indicated maximum activity at pH 5 and at a temperature of 37 ° C, and the enzyme exhibited a zero-order reaction rate for the first 2 h of hydrolysis. The results obtained showed that the enzyme is non-specific in its mode of action, hydrolysing fatty acids irrespective of chain length, degree of unsaturation, and the position of fatty acids in the triglycerides. The deterioration and spoilage of ‘ground’ seeds in storage has been shown to be due to the release of endogenous lipase during grinding. The release of lipase is greater the greater the water content of the seeds