DETERMINATION OF ANTI-OXIDANT, NUTRITIONAL AND ANTI-NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF Garcinia kola AND Chrysophyllum Albidum FROM RAINFOREST ECOSYSTEM OF ONDO STATE.
ABSTRACT
This study was undertaken to determine the anti-oxidant, nutritional and anti-nutritional composition of Garcinia kola and Chrysophyllum albidum from rainforest ecosystem of Ondo state, Nigeria. The anti-oxidant analysis was performed for seed kernel, fruit pulp, fruit skin and the whole fruit of Chrysophyllum albidum while nutritional and anti-nutritional composition for the species were performed for the fruit pulp and seed kernel. For Garcinia kola nutritional, anti-nutritional and anti-oxidant composition was performed on the seed kernel, fruit pulp and the fruit pod. Total phenol, total flavonoid, Vitamin C and 1-1, diphenyl picaryl hydrazine (DPPH) were the anti-oxidants determined for C. albidum and Garcinia kola. Analyses for nutritional (moisture content, ash, protein content, crude fibre, fat, carbohydrate) and anti-nutritional (phytate, oxalate tannin, alkaloid, saponin, flavonoid) composition were conducted. The results showed that moisture and ash content of the fruit pulp and seed kernel of C. albidum were comparable; protein, fat and fibre contents were higher in the fruit pulp than in the seed kernel while carbohydrate content of the seed kernel was higher than that in the fruit pulp. For G. kola, the fruit pod had higher ash content than the fruit pulp and seed kernel, the fruit pulp had the highest moisture content, followed by fruit pod and lastly by the seed kernel. The protein and fat contents of the seed kernel and fruit pod were similar but higher than that of the fruit pulp. Carbohydrate content was higher in seed kernel than in the fruit pulp and fruit pod. The results of anti-nutritional analyses indicated that the seed kernel and fruit pulp of G. kola and C. albidum did not have high concentration of anti-nutrients. The fruits of the two species were found to contain good amount of anti-oxidants. Thus, the consumption of the two species is not detrimental health and they can be used as food supplements in food manufacturing.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
TITLE PAGE ………………………………………………………………………………...i
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………........... …………………….ii
CERTIFICATION……………………………………………………...................................iii
DEDICATION……………………………………………………….....................................iv
ACKNOWLEDGMENT……………………………………………………………………..v
TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………………………vi
LIST OF FIGURES………………………………………………….. ………………….....xi
LIST OF PLATES…………………………………………………………………………..xii
LIST OF TABLES….... ……………………………………………………………………xiii
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION……………………………………………….....................................1
1.1GENERAL BACKGROUND……………………………………....................................1
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM…………………………………………………….2
1.3 OBJECTIVES……………………………………………………....................................3
1.4 JUSTIFICATION………………………………………………………………………..3
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY ………………………………………………………………4
CHAPTER TWO
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………………………………….6
2.1 Chrysophyllum albidum…………………………………………………………………6
2.2 Uses of Chrysophyllum albidum…………………………………………………...........8
vii 2.3 Garcinia kola…………………………………………………........................................9
2.3.1 Health benefit of Garcinia kola……………………………………………………....10
2.4 Irvingia gabonensi……………………………………………………………………...11
2.4.1 Benefit of Irvingia gabonensis……………………………………………………….12
2.5 Treculia Africana…………………………………………………………………….....12
2.5.1 Uses of Treculia Africana…………………………………………………………….13
2.5.2 Health benefit of Treculia Africana…………………………………………………..14
2.6 NUTRITION…………………………………………………....................................14
2.6.1 The nutrient……………………………………………………………………….....15
2.4.2 Essential and non-essential nutrients…………………………..................................15
2.6.3 Deficiencies and toxicity……………………………………………………………16
2.7 ANTI-NUTRIENTS…………………………………………………………….......18
2.7.1 Phytic and Phytate………………………………………………………………......18
2.7.2 Tannins……………………………………………………………………………....18
2.8 ANTI-OXIDANT……………………………………………………………………19
2.8.1 Total flavonoid………………………………………………………………………22
2.8.2 Vitamin C……………………………………………………………………………23
2.8.3 Benefit of anti-oxidant………………………………………………………………23
2.8.4 Anti-oxidant in the human body………………………………………………….....25
2.8.5 Dietary sources of anti-oxidant…………………………………………………......25
2.8.6 Anti-oxidant in the industry……………………………………...............................27
2.8.7 Anti-oxidant activities………………………………………………………………27
viii 2.8.8 Comparison between the activities of synthetic and natural anti-oxidant in
foods………………………………………………………………………………………..28
CHAPTER THRE
3.0 MATERIALS AND METHOD……………………………………...............................30
3.1 Materials……………………………………………………………...............................30
3.2 Methods……………………………………………………………………………........31
3.2.1 Fruit collection and processing………………………………………………………..31
3.3 NUTRITIONAL ANALYSIS PROCEDURE FOR Chrysophyllum albidum and Garcinia
kola…………………………………………………………………………………………..32
3.3.1 Moisture Content Determination…………………………………................................33
3.3.2 Crude Protein Determination……………………………………………………..........34
3.3.3 Crude Fibre Determination…………………………………………………………….34
3.3.4 Ash Content Determination………………………………………................................35
3.3.5 Fat Content Determination………………………………………………………… .36
3.3.6 Carbohydrate Content Determination………………………………………………. .37
3.4 ANTI-NUTRIENT DETERMINATION………………………………………………. .37
3.4.1 Determination of Phytate…………………………………………........................ .37
3.4.2 Determination of Saponin…………………………………………........................ .37
3.4.3 Determination of Tannin…………………………………………………………… .38
3.4.4 Determination of Oxalate………………………………………………………....... .39
3.4.5 Determination of Flavonoid…………………………………………………….......... .39
3.4.6 Determination of Alkaloid…………………………………………............................ .40
3.5 ANTI-OXIDANT DETERMINATION………………………………………………....40
ix 3.5.1 Determination of Total Phenol………………………………………………………...40
3.5.2 Determination of Total Flavonoid…………………………………..............................41
3.5.3 Determination of Vitamin C…………………………………………………………...41
3.5.4 Determination of DPPH…………………………………………….............................42
CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION……………………………………................................43
4.1 Results…………………………………………………………………………………....43
4.1.1 Result for the Nutritional, Anti-nutritional, and Anti-oxidant composition of
Chrysophyllum albidum……………………………………………………………………...43
4.1.2 Result for the Nutritional, Anti-nutritional, and Anti-oxidant composition of Garcinia
kola…………………………………………………………………………………………...47
4.2 Discussion………………………………………………………………………..............51
4.2.1 Nutritional composition of Chrysophyllum albidum…………………………..............51
4.2.1.1 Anti-nutritional composition of C. albidum…………………………………………52
4.2.1.2.Anti-oxidant analysis of C. albidum…………………………………………………52
4.2.2 Nutrition composition of Garcinia kola…...................................................................53
4.2.2.1 Anti-nutritional composition of G. kola......................................................................53
4.2.2.2 Anti-oxidant analysis of G. kola………………………………………….…………54
CHAPTER FIVE
5.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION………………………………………..55
5.1 CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………………...55
5.2 RECOMMENDATION………………………………………………………………..56
REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………………..57
CHAPTER ONE
1.0: INTRODUCTION
1.1: General background
Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) play important role in rural communities around the
world. These products may be sold, thus providing cash income and economic
empowerment. The extraction of NTFPs is often considered to be a mean of improving rural
people‟s living standards as well as the suitable approaches to forest conservation. They have
medicinal values and are very numerous in the forest. These NTFPs are highly valued by
rural people and form part of their daily diets. They are used not only for household
consumption, but also for trade. They could be essentials sources of proteins, vitamins,
minerals and amino acids, thus making them nutritionally important.
Examples of NTFPs tree species include: Chrysophyllum albidum, Treculia Africana, Cola
nitida, Garcinia kola, Blighia sapida, Elaeis guinensis, Ricinodendron heudelotii and Irvingia
gabonensis, etc. Chrysophyllum albidum or white star apple provides NTFPs of immense
domestic importance to rural and urban dwellers, with great export potentials (Nwoboshi,
2000). The fruit pulp is widely consumed and thus plays an important role in food security. It
serves as a delicacy and an alternative source of food, it also provides an alternative source of
income to rural dwellers and provides rural employment through the collection and sale of the
fruits. The species has been noted to be of great nutritional, social, medicinal, and traditional
importance (Okigbo, 1978; Okafor, 1979). Due to the sweet and pleasant taste of the fruit, the
consumption of C. albidum has been noted to be on the increase (Egharevba and Uwadiae,
1995). Also, the demand for the fruit has increased in Nigerian cities.
1 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
The fruit and seeds of Chrysophyllum albidum and Garcinia kola respectively are essential
sources of protein, minerals, vitamins, and amino acids, etc. They also have a very high
percentage of their fresh weight as water and they exhibit relatively high metabolic activity
when compared with other plants consumed by man.
Despite their importance, Chrysophyllum albidum and Garcinia kola have been greatly
neglected, especially with respect to their regeneration. It has been shown that the economic
importance, as well as the consumption of these forest fruit species, has increased in recent
years as a result of increased awareness of its social, economic, medicinal, and nutritional
values. Although C. albidum and G. kola have been consumed for decades or centuries in
Nigeria and other parts of Africa, their anti-oxidants, nutritional and anti-nutritional
compositions have not been investigated in detail. (Egharevba and Uwadiae, 1995; Leakey
et al., 1996; Onyekwelu and Akindele, 2002).
The determination of the nutritional composition of the fruit is essential in order to ascertain the
important roles these fruits will play in human nutrition while the anti-oxidant determination
is essential to ascertain its medicinal value. One of the major constraints to the utilization of
fruits and seeds from forest trees are the presence of Anti-nutritive Factors (ANFS) especially
phytate and trypsin inhibitors (Edet et al., 1985). Consequently, it is essential to investigate
the presence of these nutrients, anti-nutrients, and anti-oxidants as well as their quantities in
the fruits, which is the focus of this study. This will help in evaluating the contribution of the
fruit to the nutritional balance of the people as well as to health care delivery.
2 1.3 OBJECTIVES
The general objective of the study is to investigate the anti-oxidant, nutritional, and anti-
nutritional composition of the fruits and seeds of Chrysophyllum albidum and Garcinia kola
grown in the rainforest ecosystem of Ondo State, Nigeria.
The specific objective includes:
1. To investigate the nutritional composition of the fruit and seeds of Chrysophyllum
albidum and Garcinia kola, respectively
2. To examine the anti-nutritional composition of the fruit of Chrysophyllum albidum as
well as in the seeds of Garcinia kola
3. To carry out analysis of anti-oxidant of Chrysophyllum albidum fruits and Garcinia
kola seeds are grown in the rainforest ecosystem of Ondo State, Nigeria.
1.4 JUSTIFICATION
Forest fruits and seeds are increasingly becoming important in the nutritional diversity and
health care delivery of the people, especially rural dwellers. They contribute to our diets, thus
their importance cannot be overemphasized. In Nigeria, C. albidum and G. kola are
consumed in different ecological zones and by different people groups. It is necessary to
embark on the domestication of these species because of their economic, social, traditional,
environmental, medicinal, and nutritional importance, as well as their increasing demand,
coupled with the decreasing yield and old age of current trees. Some fruits contain quantities
of anti-nutrient, which are detrimental to human health while others are known to contain
a large number of nutrients necessary for bodybuilding and functioning such as fibre, protein,
carbohydrates, etc. Also, some fruits contain a good quantity of antioxidants, which help
3 maintaining the health of the human body. With these, the determination of the nutritional,
anti-nutritional and anti-oxidant elements in indigenous forest fruits and seeds should be
done in order to sensitize the economy. Where they are found to contain high quantities of anti-nutrients that are detrimental to human health, the measure would be taken to overcome them so
that the fruits can be consumed without damage to human health. Where the fruits and
seeds contain a good quantity of nutritional elements and anti-oxidants, their cultivation and
consumption should be promoted (Adekunle, 2007; Ajewole and Adeyeye, 1991). Thus, this
the study is aimed at investigating the nutritional, anti-nutritional, and anti-oxidant compositions
in the fruits and seeds of Chrysophyllum albidum and Garcinia kola, respectively grown in
the rainforest ecosystem of Ondo State, Nigeria.
1.5 SCOPE OF THE STUDY
This study covers the determination of the nutritional, anti-nutritional and anti-oxidant
analysis of Chrysophyllum albidum fruits and Garcinia kola seeds from the rainforest
ecological zone of Ondo State. Fresh fruits of the species were collected from trees in
agroforestry farms in some villages within the rainforest ecological zone of Ondo State,
Nigeria. The nutritional compositions investigated were: Moisture content, crude fibre, ash,
crude protein, fats, and carbohydrates, the anti-nutrients determined are tannin, phytate,
phytin phosphorus, oxalate, saponin, alkaloid, and flavonoid composition. While the anti-
oxidants determined are the total phenol, total flavonoid, 1-1, diphenyl picaryl hydrazine
(DPPH free radical scavenging) and vitamin C. The nutritional and anti-nutritional
compositions determination was carried out in Animal Production and Health Department
4 experimental Laboratory, FUTA while the anti-oxidant investigation was carried out in the
Department of Biochemistry Postgraduate laboratory, FUTA.
.