Journal of Emerging Trends in Engineering and Applied Sciences: Research Areas

Article Title: PHYTOCHEMICAL AND NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION OF LOCUST BEAN FRUIT PULP
by Moji Afolayan, Bawa G.S., Sekoni A.A., Abeke F.O. Inekwe V.O. and Odegbile E.O

Abstract:
The study was conducted to evaluate the Phytochemical and nutritional composition of locust bean fruit pulp (LBP). Shortage of animal products to meet the adequate protein requirement needed to sustain the growing population in Africa had necessitated research into non- conventional feedstuff such as the African locust bean pulp. Result of proximate analysis showed that LBP contained 3.19% crude protein, 6.03% crude fibre, 1.84% ether extract, 6.86% ash, 88.45% dry matter and 66.39% nitrogen free extract (NFE). Mineral analysis revealed that LBP contained 221.77mg/litre of calcium and 31.4mg/litre of phosphorus. Vitamin A content in LBP was 10.46mg/litre while Vitamin C was 542mg/100g. Antinutritional factors recorded in this study were relatively lower than those reported in the literatures. The locust bean pulp had a mean value of 0.32mg/100g for tannin, 0.93 mg/100g for oxalate, 1.67mg/100g for phytate, 0.34mg/100g for saponin, 0.08mg/100g for cyanide, 0.41mg/100g for trypsin inhibitor, 19.72% for alkaloids and 40.20% for flavonoid. It was concluded that the locust bean pulp is rich in nutrients with low level of antinutritional factors, therefore it can be included in livestock feed with little or no side effects on the animals.

Keywords: phytochemical, nutritional evaluation, locust bean fruit pulp

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