Aim: Chemical composition of Xylopia aethiopica fruits were evaluated in this study. Materials and Methods: Xylopia aethiopica fruits were purchased as commonly sold at the new market in Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria. The fruits were sorted for healthy parts, air-dried and pulverized using manual blender. The AOAC method and AAS were used for proximate and mineral analysis respectively, while phytochemical composition of the fruits was determined using GC-MS. Results: The result revealed the presence of different phytochemicals which could possess several physiological and biological actions. The proximate analysis result showed Xylopia aethiopica fruit contain 38.72 ± 0.61% fibre, 26.08 ± 1.41% carbohydrates, 18.47 ± 0.05% protein, 6.73 ± 0.01% lipid, 6.02 ± 0.84% moisture and 4.00 ± 0.02% ash. Result of mineral analysis showed the abundance (ppm) of the selected mineral elements in Xylopia aethiopica fruit to be 12.773 ± 0.0010 calcium, 6.270 ± 0.1500 potassium, 5.297 ± 0.0005 magnesium, 4.030 ± 0.1200 sodium, 2.408 ± 0.0007 iron, 1.090 ± 0.2700 phosphorus, 0.422 ± 0.0002 zinc, 0.319 ± 0.0001 manganese, 0.226 ± 0.0004 chromium and 0.075 ± 0.0006 copper. Conclusion: The results revealed that Xylopia aethiopica fruits are not rich in the basic nutritional macromolecules, but contain appreciable amounts which could complement other food materials used in nutrition. The appreciable mineral content supports the use of Xylopia aethiopica fruits in pharmacology and nutrition which may aid the catalysis of many enzymes, as well as maintenance of homeostasis and immune function.
Key words: Mineral, nutrition, phytochemical, proximate, Xylopia aethiopica fruit
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