Phytochemical and proximate analysis of African walnut (Tetracarpidium Conophorum) seeds

Description

Phytochemical and proximate analysis of African walnut (Tetracarpidium Conophorum) seeds.

Abstract

The study“Phytochemical and Proximate analysis of Tetracarpidium conophorum (African Walnut) Seed,” aims to determine the nutritional composition of raw and cooked walnut by investigating their proximate compositions and, to identify the mineral contents present in them and quantitatively determine the differences in phytochemical contents of cooked and raw walnut. The following analyses were carried out during the research study proximate, phytochemical and mineral contents. The results for proximate analysis of the raw and cooked walnut seed extracts had the following parameters: 42.57% and 40.91% moisture content, 20.54% and 23.03% protein, 4.51% and 4.27% fat content, 7.26% and 7.05% crude fiber, 5.02% and 5.16% ash content, and 20.12% and 19.59% carbohydrate respectively. The phytochemical analysis results obtained revealed the presence of bioactive compounds with the following concentrations: 0.92 mg/100 g Tannin, 1.69 mg/100 g Saponin, 2.78 mg/100 g Flavonoid, and 0.41 mg/100 g Alkaloid for cooked walnut while raw walnut contained 1.10 mg/100 g Tannin, 3.09 mg/100 g, 3.43 mg/100 g, Saponin, 3.19 mg/100 g Flavonoid and 1.34 mg/100 g Alkaloid. This study has shown the phytochemical, mineral and proximate compositions of both the raw and boiled Tetracarpidium conophorum seeds. There were no significant differences in their proximate and minerals contents. It is revealed from the results that the boiled seeds contain concentrations of alkaloids and also contain moderate quantities of tannins. These bioactive compounds could be responsible for the reported medicinal properties of Tetracarpidium conophorum seeds. This partly shows the use of this seed in herbal medicine and also, for its use as a combinatory effect for kidney tonics.…