Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T22:00:38.996Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Vitamins, phytochemicals and toxic elements in the pulp and seed of raphia palm fruit (Raphia hookeri)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 October 2008

Marc Nwosu Ogbuagu
Marc Nwosu Ogbuagu*
Affiliation:
Chem. Dep., Michael Okpara Univ. Agric., Umudike, PMB 7267, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria
*
ogbuagumn@yahoo.com
Get access

Abstract

Introduction. The raphia palm tree is found in abundance in the southern part of Nigeria, especially in the southeastern part. It is grown mainly for its production of palm wine. It also bears fruits (Raphia hookeri) whose pulp is considered edible in some parts of the country and not edible in other parts. Materials and methods. Conventional methods of analysis were used to investigate the vitamin, phytochemical and toxic element composition of the pulp and seed of the fruit. Results. The investigation shows that the pulp has higher concentrations of vitamin E (1.04 mg·100 g–1), niacin (0.2 mg·100 g–1), alkaloid (5 g·kg–1), saponins (3.6 g·kg–1), flavonoids (4 g·kg–1) and phenols (4.1 g·kg–1) than the seed, but the seed has higher values of vitamin A (0.16 mg·100g–1), thiamine (0.07 mg·100 g–1), riboflavin (0.07 mg·100 g–1), nitrates (3.05 mg·100 g–1) and nitrites (0.29 mg·100 g–1), and of the toxic elements: lead (0.03 µg·g–1), mercury (0.04 µg·g–1), arsenic (0.23 µg·g–1) and cadmium (0.04 µg·g–1) than the pulp. Conclusion. The pulp and seed of R. hookeri are non-toxic and can serve as food as well as in medicine.

Keywords

NigeriaRaphia hookerifruitsfruit pulpschemical compositionvitaminsNigeriaRaphia hookerifruitspulpe de fruitscomposition chimiquevitamine
Type
Research Article
Information
Fruits , Volume 63 , Issue 5 , September 2008 , pp. 297 - 302
Copyright
© CIRAD, EDP Sciences, 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Irvine F.R., Woody Plants of Ghana with special reference to their uses, Oxford Univ. Press, London, UK, 1961, 868 p.
Keay R.W., Hepper F.N., Flora of west tropical Africa, Crown agents, Millbank, London, 1953, pp. 104–107.
Keay, R.W., Trees of Nigeria. Oxford Press Ltd., New York, USA, 1989, 445 p.
Otedoh, M.O., The Nigerian field, Int. Field Stud., J. West Afr. 42 (2) (1977) 58.
Anon., Raw materials sourcing for manufacturing in Nigeria, RMRDC, Lagos, Nigeria, 1990, 8 p.
Edem, D.O., Eka, O.U., Ifon, E.T., Chemical evaluation of the nutritive value of the raphia palm fruit (Raphia hookeri), Food Chem. 15 (1984) 9–17. CrossRef
Opute, F.I., Mesocarp, seed and pollen lipids of Raphia palms, J. Sci. Food Agric. 29 (1978) 115–120. CrossRef
Harbone J.B., Phytochemical method: a guide to modern techniques of plants analysis, Chapman and Hall, New York, USA, 1973.
Pearson D., The chemical analysis of foods, Churchill Livingstone, Edinburgh, UK, 1976.
Follet, M.J., Ratcliff, D.W., Determination of nitrate and nitrite in meat products, J. Sci. Food Agric. 14 (1963) 138–144. CrossRef
Kirk R.S., Sawyer R., Pearson’s composition and analysis of foods, Longman Sci. Tech. Group, 9th ed., London, UK, 1991.
Barakat, M.Z., Shehab, S.K., Daswish, N., Zahermy, E.I., Determination of ascorbic acid from plants, J. Anal. Biochem. 53 (1973) 225–245. CrossRef
James C.S., Analytical chemistry of foods, Chapman and Hall, New York, USA, 1995.
Onyenuga V.A., Nigeria’s foods and feeding stuffs: their chemistry and nutritive value, 3rd ed., Ibadan Univ. Press, Ibadan, Nigeria, 1968.
Lehninger A.L., Biochemistry, 3rd ed., Worth Publ. Inc., New York, USA, 1985.
Anon., Chemistry and technology of citrus fruits, citrus products and by products, United State Dep. Agric. (USDA), Agric. Handb. 98, 1962, 99 p.
Macrae R., Robinson R.K., Sadler M.J., Encyclopedia of food science, food technology and nutrition, Acad. Press, London, UK, 1993.
Stary F., The natural guide to medicinal herbs and plants, Tiger Books Int., London, UK, 1998.
Lipkin R., Do proteins in cells make computations?, Sci. Serv. Inc., Sci. News vol. 148, Wash., DC, USA, 1995.
Del-Rio, A., Obudulio, B.G., Costillo, J., Mann, F.G., Otuno, A., Uses and properties of citrus flavonoids, J. Agric. Food Chem. 46 (1997) 4505–4515.
Köhrle J., Spanka M., Imscher K., Hesch R.D., Flavonoids effects on transport, metabolism and action on thyroid hormones, in: Cody V., Middleton E., Harbone J.B., Beretz A. (Eds.), Plant flavonoids in biology and medicine, vol. 11, Alan R. Liss, New York, USA, 1988, pp. 323–340.
Sofowora E.A., Medicinal plants and traditional medicine in Africa, 2nd ed., John Wiley and Sons Ltd., New York, USA, 1982, 440 p.
Hill G.C., Holman J.S., Chemistry in context, ELBS Ed., London, UK, 1978, 459 p.
Anon., Root and tuber crops, plantains and bananas in developing countries: challenges and opportunities, FAO plant production and protection pap. No. 87, Rome, Italy, 1988, 83 p.
Minist. Agric. Fish. Food, Nitrate, nitrites and N-nitroso compounds, in: Food Surveill. Pap. No. 20, UK, 1999.
Ensminger A.H., Ensminger M.E., Konlande J.L., Robson J.R.K., Concise encyclopedia of foods and nutrition, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., USA, 1995.
Ademoroti C.M.A., Environmental chemistry and toxicity, Foludex Press Ltd., Ibadan, Nigeria, 1996, pp. 171–204.
Reilly C., Metal contamination of foods, 2nd ed., Elsevier, London, UK, 1991.