Assessment_of_the_phytochemical_constituents_and_proximate_composition_of_african_peer

Project Abstract

The African pear (Dacryodes edulis) is a popular fruit widely consumed in West Africa due to its delicious taste and potential nutritional benefits. This study aimed to assess the phytochemical constituents and proximate composition of African pear to provide valuable information on its nutritional profile. Fresh African pear samples were obtained from local markets in a major city in Nigeria and analyzed for their phytochemical constituents using standard methods. The proximate composition, including moisture content, ash content, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, and carbohydrate content, was also determined. The results revealed the presence of various phytochemicals in African pear, including alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and phenols. These phytochemicals are known for their potential health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial properties. In terms of proximate composition, the African pear samples had an average moisture content of 68.4%, ash content of 1.2%, crude protein content of 2.6%, crude fat content of 11.8%, crude fiber content of 2.3%, and carbohydrate content of 14.1%. These findings indicate that African pear is a good source of energy due to its relatively high fat and carbohydrate content. Overall, the phytochemical analysis of African pear showed the presence of bioactive compounds that could contribute to its potential health-promoting properties. The proximate composition analysis revealed that African pear is a nutritious fruit with a good balance of macronutrients. This study provides valuable information on the nutritional composition of African pear, which could be useful for promoting its consumption and utilization in food and nutrition programs. Further research could focus on exploring the bioactive properties of the identified phytochemicals and their potential health benefits. In conclusion, African pear is a valuable fruit with a rich phytochemical profile and a balanced proximate composition. Its nutritional benefits make it a promising food source that could be further explored for its health-promoting properties.

Project Overview

<p> </p><p>INTRODUCTION<br>1.1 Background of the Study<br>Plants are important in our everyday existence. They provide our foods, produce the oxygen we breathe, and serve as raw materials for many industrial products such as clothes, foot wears and so many others. Plants also provide raw materials for our buildings and in the manufacture of biofuels, dyes, perfumes, pesticides, adsorbents and drugs. The plant kingdom has proven to be the most useful in the treatment of diseases and they provide an important source of all the world’s pharmaceuticals. The most important of these bioactive constituents of plants are steroids, terpenoids, carotenoids, flavanoids, alkaloids, tannins and glycosides. Plants in all facet of life have served a valuable starting material for drug development (Ajibesin, 2011). Antibiotics or antimicrobial substances like saponins, glycosides, flavonoids and alkaloids etc are found to be distributed in plants, yet these compounds were not well established due to the lack of knowledge and techniques. The phytoconstituents which are phenols, anthraquinones, alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids and saponins are antibiotic principles of plants. Plants are now occupying important position in allopathic medicine, herbal medicine, homoeopathy and aromatherapy. Medicinal plants are the sources of many important drugs of the modern world. Many of these indigenous medicinal plants are used as spices and food plants; they are also sometimes added to foods meant for pregnant mothers for medicinal purposes ( Akinpela and Onakoya, 2006). Many plants are cheaper and more accessible to most people especially in the developing countries than orthodox medicine, and there is lower incidence of adverse effects after use. These reasons might account for their worldwide attention and use. The medicinal properties of some plants have been documented by some researchers ( Akinpelu and Onukoya, 2006). Medicinal plants are of great importance to the health of individuals and communities. It was the advent of antibiotics in the 1950s that led to the decline of the use of plant derivatives as antimicrobials (Marjorie, 1999). Medicinal plants contain physiologically active components which over the years have been exploited in the traditional medical practices for the treatment of various ailments (Ajibesin, 2011). A relatively small percentage of less than 10% of all the plants on earth is believed to serve as sources of medicine (Marjorie, 1999).<br>In an effort to find alternative sources of feedstuffs to replace some or all of the maize in the diet of pigs and other non-ruminant farm animals, several studies have been conducted to determine the suitability of some agro-industrial wastes as feed ingredients. These include cocoa pod husks, brewers spent grains, rice bran, maize bran, groundnut skins, and wheat bran. However, one by-product that requires consideration is cashew nut testa, a by-product obtained from the processing of cashew nuts. Its utilization as animal feed even at relatively low dosage formulations will minimize its disposal problem as well as reduce the cost of animal feeding.<br>1.2 Statement of the Problem<br>It is now known that agricultural materials are used as animal feeds and that they contain phytochemicals. These phytochemicals serve as antibiotic principles of plants.<br>The need for a cheap, renewable, easily available and nutritive source of material as feed supplements has therefore attracted me to investigate African pear leaf, (APL) as an alternative.<br>1.3 Objectives of the Study<br>Broadly stated, the purpose of this work is to investigate/assess the nutritive and medicinal values of African pear leaf as an effective replacement in animal diets. Specifically, this work investigated:<br>(i) the proximate constituents of African pear leaf; and<br>(ii) the qualitative and quantitative phytochemicals of African pear leaf.</p><div><div></div></div><br> <br><p></p>