Chemical Composition Of Fruit Pulp And Leaves OF Diallium guineense Plants

ABSTRACT 

Diallium guineense fruit pulp and leaves popularly consumed raw by some tribes in Nigeria were studied for their proximate, vitamin, mineral and phytochemical composition. The fruit pulp and leaves were respectively found to contain 5.54±0.0.07%, 19.71±0.12% crude protein, 3.14±0.02%, 9.49±0.09% ash, 4.48±0.0%, 12.57±0.24% crude fibre, 2.21±0.04%, 3.43±0.02% crude fat and 71.67±0.03%, 44.58±0.16% carbohydrate respectively. They also contained reasonable amounts of mineral elements which ranged from 42.77±0.09 - 65.59±0.15 mg/100g sodium, 238.67±0.09 - 247.70±1.48 mg/100g potassium, 84.81±0.56 - 175.75±1.62 mg/100g calcium, 264.78±0.68 - 284.60±0.10 mg/100g phosphorus, 2.35±0.02 – 3.65±0.15 mg/100g zinc and 3.14±0.03 – 4.72±0.10 mg/100g iron. They also contained appreciable values of vitamins A (86.68±0.1.08 – 42.77±0.09 IU/100 g), Vitamin C (254.78±0.49 – 254.35±8.50 mg/100g) and Vitamin E (2.78±0.02 – 3.52±0.10 mg/100g). The phytochemical/antinutrient contents were low. They were however high in nitrate (19.62±0.24 – 34.71±0.12 mg/100g) and nitrite (4.64±0.03 – 7.52±0.08 mg/100g). Except for moisture, carbohydrates and magnesium, the leaf sample was found to have higher values of all the nutrients considered. Both the fruit pulp and leaves of Diallium guineense were found to be rich in nutrient composition and can therefore be recommended to serve as a food supplement or snack for consumers as a means of meeting part of their daily nutritional needs. The GC-MS analysis of the methanol extract of the fruit pulp revealed the presence of thirty one components.