Comparative Assessment of Mineral and Vitamin Composition of Canarium schweinfurthii Pulp and Seed

Abstract

Background: Fruits are significant for human nutrition, even though they supply essential elements that the body needs to function correctly. Inadequate micronutrient intake and resulting micronutrient deficiencies are among the biggest threats to global public health. Aim: The study aimed to investigate the mineral and vitamin composition of C. schweinfurthii pulp and seed quantitatively and assess their nutritional value. Methodology: Following acid digestion, atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) was used to analyze minerals (APHA, 1995). Vitamin C was measured by titrimetry, whereas vitamins A, D, E, and B were measured by spectrophotometry. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS software version 27. Results: The amounts of calcium (9.18 ppm), magnesium (5.15 ppm), iron (1.36 ppm), and selenium (8.23 ppm) were greater in the seed than in the pulp (5.01 ppm), (4.15 ppm), (0.47 ppm), and (0.05 ppm), respectively. However, the vitamin analysis revealed that the seed had higher vitamins A (56.94 mg/kg), C (110.88 mg/kg), B1 (1.65 mg/kg), B2 (1.64 mg/kg), and E (39.24 mg/kg) when compared with the pulp (14.06 mg/kg), (65.62 mg/kg), (1.12 mg/kg), (0.95 mg/kg), and (32.08 mg/kg). Additionally, the pulp has substantially more vitamin B6 (10.01 mg/kg) and vitamin D (34.18 mg/kg) than the seed (2.09 mg/kg and 10.09 mg/kg, respectively). The pulp contained barely 0.03 mg/kg of mercury. Conclusion: The results suggest that C. schweinfurthii's pulp and seed are rich in nutritionally significant minerals and vitamins, making it a potential dietary supplement to address micronutrient deficiencies.