Compositional Evaluation of Pulp and Seed of Blood Plum (Haematostaphis barteri), a Wild Tree Found in Taraba State, Nigeria

Abstract

Traditional leafy vegetables represent inexpensive but high quality nutritional sources for the poor segment of the population especially in developing world like Nigeria, where malnutrition is wide spread. Blood plum (Haematostaphis barteri) is an under–utilized leafy vegetable belonging to the Anacardiacea family. A comparative study was carried out on proximate composition and amino acid profile of pulp and seed of H. barteri. The proximate composition values (%) for pulp and seed samples were found to be as follows: Moisture (3.56 and 2.75), ash (2.97 and 3.92), crude fat (17.76 and 29.68), crude protein (21.81 and 29.38), crude fibre (8.44 and 2.40), and carbohydrate (45.48 and 31.88). The calculated fatty acids and metabolizable energy were 14.21 and 23.74%; 1801.05 and 2139.58 kJ/100g, respectively. The high metabolizable energy values showed that the samples have an energy concentration more favourable than cereals, and which compare favourably well with those of legumes. The amino acid profiles revealed that pulp and seed samples of H. barteri contained nutritionally useful quantities of most of the essential amino acids. The total amino acids (TAA), total essential amino acids (TEAA) (with His), total sulphur amino acids (TSAA), and essential aromatic amino acids (EArAA) for the pulp and seed samples were 53.39 and 67.07; 26.49 and 34.28; 1.21 and 2.59; 2.70 and 3.37, respectively. However, supplementation of essential amino acid is required in a dietary formula based on H. barteri (pulp and seed), when comparing the EAAs in this report with the recommended FAO/WHO provisional pattern. The limiting EAAs in the pulp and seed of H. barteri were Leu and Lys, respectively.

Keyword: Proximate, amino acids, pulp, seed, Haematostaphis barteri