Proximate and mineral composition of the seeds and pods of Xylopia Aethiopica.

Abstract

The seeds and pods of xylopia aethiopica were analyzed for its proximate and mineral composition using standard method. The proximate composition showed that the lipid content of the seeds (22.1 ± 0.05%) was higher than that of the pods (21.0 ± 0.01%). The carbohydrates content of 47.7 ± 0.03% in the pods was higher than 43.6 ± 0.02% found in the seeds, which further gave rise to higher calorific (energy) value of 382.0 ± 0.11 Kcal/100g for the pods than 376.5 ± 0.04 kcal/100g recorded for the seeds. The mineral analysis indicated higher potassium content content in the seeds and pods than the other minerals analysed. When compared to their respective recommended dietary allowance (RDA), the seeds and pods of this plant are good sources of copper and iron. Nutrient density (ND) which is used to evaluate the nutritional significance further confirmed that the seeds are a good sources of the mineral elements copper and iron, while the pods are a moderate source of potassium.