ABSTRACT

Baobab tree has multi-purpose uses, as it produces food and non-food products such as medicines, fuel, timber, fodder. The seeds, leaves, roots, flowers, fruit pulp and bark of baobab are edible. The study was carried out to assess the nutrient content of Adansonia digitata leaf seed and bark collected from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, umudike. Proximate analyses were carried out following methods of Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Macronutrients (Ca, P, Mg, Na, and K) and micronutrients (Fe, Zn, and N) were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry. The samples had the highest carbohydrate content ranging from (34.57-60.06%) while the lowest values was crude protein content ranged from (1.42-2.73%) and there were significant difference (P<0.05) among the samples. It was observed that the leaf, seed and bark of Adansonia digitata (Baobab) was not good sources of phosphorous ranging from (0.11-0. 16mg/bOg) and magnesium ranging from (0.37-0.74mg/bOg). However, the leaf, seed and bark of the tree had the highest values of Iron ranging from (28.03-29.20mg/bOg), potassium (11.20-14.22mg/bOg) and Calcium (6.18-8.98 mg/bOg). There were significant difference except in seed and bark of Zinc. Also, the Adansonia digitata leaf, seed and bark had appreciable amount of vitamin C ranging from (49.69-86.77mg/bOg) and vitamin B2 (52.27- 184.18mg/i oog) while vitamin A had the least value ranged from (4.22-8.50mg/i 00mg)