Potentials of ripe Carica papaya seed meal using different processing methods as alternative feed ingredients in monogastric animal nutrition

Abstract

Phytomedicinal plants include various types of plants used in place of antibiotics or other synthetic drugs in order to reduce the residual effects of drugs on man hence the clamour for organic livestock. Carica papaya is one of such plants that are underutilized as the seeds of the fruits waste on a yearly basis especially in Africa as the focus of many consumers are on ripe fruits of Carica papaya. Ripe fruits of Carica papaya were obtained from Ilishan-Remo environs in Ogun State, Nigeria and the seeds were carefully removed and processed by sun-drying and oven drying. The data were subjected to t-test. The phytochemical analyses, proximate composition, vitamin and mineral concentrations were determined using standard procedures. The proximate composition of sun-dried and oven-dried seeds of ripe Carica papaya were significantly different (p<0.05) while the oven-dried samples had significantly higher (p<0.05) crude fat, ash and crude fibre. The phytochemicals were significantly  different (p<0.05) from each other such that the values are saponin (8.14mg/100g and 5.54mg/100g),  alkaloid (7.18mg/100g and 5.00mg/100g), hydrogen cyanide  (0.64mg/100g and 0.26mg/100g), tannin (52.92mg/100g and 66.50mg/100g) for the sun-dried and oven-dried seed samples of Carica papaya. The sun dried and oven-dried seeds of Carica papaya fruits contained essential minerals which are significantly different (p<0.05) from each other. The sun-dried samples however had significantly higher (p<0.05) vitamins A, B1 and B6. The nutrient composition of Carica papaya seed meal revealed that it contains some bioactive components which can serve as feed supplements in animal production and improve human health.