Assessment of the nutritional constituents of Elaeis Guineensis Jacq exudates from different States of Nigeria

Abstract

The present work was set to examine the nutritional constituents of the three most popular brands of bottled exudates produced from three different states of Nigeria. Additionally, the work was set to highlight the health significances of the nutrients that were detected. The bottled exudates were purchased in the open market in Benin City on bi-weekly intervals. The parameters determined were PH, taste, colour, relative density, alcohol, moisture, sucrose, proteins, acetic acid (acidity), thiamine, riboflavin, ascorbic acid and elemental constituents. The mean of the bi-weekly results are presented. The PH values were between 6 and 7. The colour of the exudates was white. The moisture content of all the samples was not below 94%. While some of the exudates were sweet, some had sour taste. The relative density of all the samples was above 1. The entire samples had little quantity of acetic acid. The alcohol, vitamins and some elements detected were low in concentrations. The sucrose contents of most of the exudates were high, particularly for samples from Edo state. The concentration of potassium was high in all the samples irrespective of their sources. The exudates could be classified as a rich source of nutrients that are needed in man, as some of the nutrients act as sources of energy, body builders, components of body organs and tissues, coenzymes and play notable roles in biochemical functions and deficiency diseases.

Keyword: Elaeis Guineensis Jacq, Bottled exudates, Edo, Lagos, Enugu

J. Appl. Sci. Environ. Manage. Sept., 2012, Vol. 16 (3) 261 - 266