Introduction. Mangosteen (Garcinia mangostana) is a tropical fruit that isfamous for its edible pulp. This edible pulp makes up only 30% of the total fruit, whilethe remaining pericarp and seed are regarded as waste. Facing the increasing public demandfor naturally safe foods and products, our study aimed to elucidate the antioxidantcapacity and antibacterial activity of different parts of mangosteen, including thepericarp, pulp and seed. Materials and methods. The antioxidant capacities ofmangosteen’s pericarp, pulp and seed extracts were determined using the ferric reducingantioxidant power (FRAP) assay and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, whereasantibacterial activity was determined using the disc diffusion method.Results. The pericarp extract exhibited higher antioxidant capacities thanthose of pulp and seed extracts, with a Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC)value of 122.00 µM·g–1 and ferrous sulphate equivalent antioxidant capacity (FEAC) valueof 18.99 mM·g–1. All mangosteen extracts showed strong inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC11632, while only the pericarp extract was effectiveagainst Bacillus cereus ATCC10876. No inhibition againstEscherichia coli ATCC10536 was observed. Conclusion. Theoutcomes of our study could facilitate future application of mangosteen waste as abiopreservative in the food industry.

Introduction. Relationships between environmental conditions (climate and soil) and chemical characteristics of banana were studied in Martinique (French West Indies) to contribute to discussions about a quality label based on origin and to help to improve management of banana quality. Materials and methods. Bananas produced at six sites under different conditions and during three periods of the year were harvested at the same stage and ripened under identical conditions. Results. Differences in dry weight and chemical concentrations in the pulp of green fruits were greater between sites than between periods. The pulp dry weight was higher in fruits harvested at the highland site than in fruits harvested at the lowland sites. Differences in Ca and Mg were observed in fruits harvested on vertisol and andosol soils. Fruits produced on brown rust to halloysite soil contained high Mn concentrations. Differences in dry matter, total soluble solids and citric acid concentrations in the pulp of ripe fruits were greater between periods than between sites. Bananas harvested during the hot rainy season had the lowest pulp dry matter and total soluble solids. Bananas harvested during the cool dry season had the highest concentration of citric acid. Carbohydrate (dry matter, total soluble solids, and glucose and fructose) concentrations in fruit pulp decreased with an increase in mean daily temperature from bunch emergence to harvest. Conversely, mineral (P, Mg and Ca) concentrations in fruit pulp increased with an increase in temperature. Conclusion. It is clear that these relationships should be taken into greater consideration when assessing banana quality. The specific environmental conditions in highland areas warrant the creation of a ‘mountain banana’ label.

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.

Introduction. The widely recognised dietary and socio-economic value of the shea nut and its butter extract seems to have diminished the usefulness attached to the shea fruit pulp, which is also very important. This is evident from the dearth of scientific information on the nutritional content of the pulp. Materials and methods. We determined the nutritional composition of shea fruit pulp of fruits collected in seven locations spread in the southern Guinea savanna, northern Guinea savanna and the Sudan savanna of Nigeria. Results. Analysis of variance revealed a significant effect of agro-ecological zones on carbohydrate, protein, fibre and energy. The southern Guinea savanna zone recorded comparatively more carbohydrate and energy content than the other two zones, while maintaining lower values for protein and fibre. Conversely, all nutritional traits varied significantly across the fruit pulps for fruits collected in the individual locations surveyed in the three zones. Values for carbohydrate, protein and fat ranged from 29.3–45.3%, 2.6–7.0% and 0.7–1.7%, respectively. Correlation analysis established a positive significant relationship between carbohydrate and energy, but its relationship with fibre and protein was negative and significant. Fibre content maintained a negative relationship with energy while being positively correlated with protein. Principal component analysis identified fibre, energy, ash, protein and moisture as nutritional traits that could be used in classifying shea fruit pulp. Discussion. Our study showed that the Nigerian Vitellaria fruit pulp has adequate nutritional content that is comparable with that of other species. The strong statistical linkage between fibre and protein in shea fruits presents an attractive combination, particularly for children of the rural zones with restricted access to the more conventional and expensive food sources.

Introduction. Chips or crisps are the most important foods usually fried; they are presented in the form of thin discs (chips) or sometimes in the form of sticks (French fries). Materials and methods. Chips were prepared starting from pulp samples resulting from five hybrids of plantain and banana newly released in Nigeria and from a local cultivar used as reference. The iron, zinc and pro-vitamin A contents were investigated in the chips to unveil their micronutrient content. Results and discussion. The results showed that there was no significant difference (p < 0.05) in the iron content of the chips produced from the new plantain and banana hybrids, while a significant difference (p < 0.05) existed in both zinc and total carotenoid contents of the hybrids. Chips made from BITA 3, a hybrid cooking banana, couldcontribute 2.61 retinol equivalent (RE)e [1 (RE)e = 6 µg β-carotene (precursor of vitamin A)] daily, if a small packet of chips (45 g) is consumed, based on the Recommended Daily Dietary Allowance. A 45-g packet of chips made from PITA 26 can contribute 14.6% and 20.1% of the daily requirements of zinc per day, and 30.1% and 22.3% of the requirements of iron per day, for a man and a woman, respectively. Conclusions. The new plantain and banana hybrids may therefore significantly participate in a food strategy aiming at combating the lack of micronutrients in the sub-Saharan African diet.

Introduction. Açaí is a common palm in the Amazon River basin, from which a much-appreciated drink is prepared in the North of Brazil. Despite the strong increase in the drink market, some basic questions about the fruit postharvest physiology have not been properly studied. Our paper presents results about the fruit water absorption at different temperatures and times of storage, which may help the development of more efficient procedures for fruit transport and processing. Materials and methods. The experiments began approximately 3 h after harvest of fruits collected early in the morning. In a first experiment, to evaluate the effect of temperature on water absorption, fruits were submitted to five treatments: 0 °C, 6 °C, 12 °C, 26 °C and 39 °C. Each treatment was applied to 50 fruits, with four repetitions. Fruits from each lot were put into a beaker with water at the temperature of the selected treatment. Lots were weighed before immersion and every 10 min up to 60 min. The fruit relative increase in mass (dMasserel) was calculated according to experiment time. In a second experiment, to evaluate the effect of storage, fruits collected at the same spot were immediately stored in the lab at 10 °C under relative air humidity of 81% to 87%. After (5, 6 and 7) days of storage, the dMasserel curves were determined. Results and discussion. Between 0 °C and 26 °C, the absorption reaches an asymptote after 30 min, and at 39 °C, the absorption continues to increase for a longer period. The maximum (dMasserel) regarding the temperature was fitted by a parabole, with a minimum at 13 °C. Fruits stored at 10 °C presented an increase in the absorption rate after the fifth day. Conclusion. Our data suggest that: (i) water absorption is minimum at 13 °C; (ii) the imbibition rate is temperature-related, and (iii) fruit stored at 10 °C, and relative humidity 81% to 87%, increases its water absorption rate at the end of the shelf-life time (5th day).