Nutritive potential of the pulp of three wild fruit species commonly consumed in Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

Baobab (Adansonia digitata), Tomi (Tamarindus indica) and Néré (Parkia biglobosa) are trees whose fruits are highly appreciated in Côte d’Ivoire but there are threatened with extinction. The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutritional properties of these fruits for their valorization. For this purpose, a physicochemical characterization of the pulp of these fruits collected in a north of Côte d’Ivoire was carried out. Data showed that fruits pulp was mainly characterized by low water (8.66–19.90%), fat (0.64–1.42%), protein (2.53–4.50%) and ash (1.36–5.06%) content while high levels of total carbohydrate (71.50–81.93%), total sugars (30.35–71.66 %), total fiber (22.65–41.14 %) and energy (309.72–353.90 Kcal/100g) are noticed. Pulps acidity varied from 12 meq.g/ Kg to 160 meq.g/Kg with richness in tannin (518.75-1020.90 mg/100 g) and total phenol (430.55–1226.19 mg/100 g).