Proximate and mineral elements compositions of some selected wild plants fruits (Borassus aethiopum, Carissa edulis, Chrysophyllum albidum, Detarium microcarpum, and Hyphaene thebaica)

Abstract

Mesocarps of five different wild plants fruits (Borassus aethiopum, Carissa edulis, Chrysophyllum albidum, Detarium microcarpum and Hyphaene thebaica) were subjected to proximate and mineral composition analyses. All the fruits showed some appreciable amounts of the proximate components that were determined such as ash content, crude fibre, crude fat, crude protein, moisture content and carbohydrate content. Similarly, the fruits contained appreciable amounts of some mineral elements such as calcium, sodium, potassium, iron, magnesium, manganese and zinc as observed in this study.   The presence of these proximate components and mineral elements in these fruits make them important and considerable sources of nutrient supplements to the public. These observed nutritional components will assist in no small way in providing the basis for the production and the development of these nutritional components industrially to help alleviate the shortage of these components in our day to day growing population.