ISSN: 2578-4803
Authors: John AO*
Medicinal plants are natural gift that contains phytochemicals that are ecofriendly, effective and non-toxic. These chemicals can also prevent antimicrobial resistance. However, the concentration of phytochemicals and nutritional properties underlines certain variation due to geographical location, age of plant, storage condition, extraction methods, amongst others. Therefore, this study was carried out to compare the proximate, mineral, vitamins, phytochemical and antioxidant properties of pulp (DPML) and seeds of Doum palm (DPSM) (Hyphaene Thebaica) in India. Proximate evaluation of DPML revealed that it had higher (p<0.05) levels of moisture (8.77%), crude fibre (13.06%), ether extracts (1.21%), ash (8.21%), carbohydrate (69.33%) and lower protein (6.21%) relative to DPSM which contained moisture, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract, ash and carbohydrates at 6.93 %, 8.07 %, 11.69 %, 0.09 %, 6.44 % and 54.08 % respectively. DPML had higher (p<0.05) concentration of calcium (387.21 mg/100g), phosphorus (2956.1mg/100g), potassium (175.1mg/100g), manganese (28.03mg/100g), magnesium (186.1mg/100g), zinc (10.33mg/100g), copper (8.61mg/100g), sodium (228.1mg/100g) and iron (9.11 mg/100g) compared to DPSM which contained calcium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, magnesium, zinc, copper, sodium and iron at 206.8 mg/100g, 1600.2 mg/100g, 113.5 mg/100g, 15.14 mg/100g, 102.4 mg/100g, 10.05 mg/100g, 5.78 mg/100g, 190.2 mg/100g and 6.08 mg/100g respectively. Doum palm pulp meal contained greater concentrations (p<0.05) of vitamin A (9.38iu/100g), vitamin B1 (26.01μg/100g), vitamin B1 (11.73μg/100g), vitamin B6 (57.10μg/100g), vitamin B12 (15.61μg/100g), vitamin C (122.6μg/100g) and vitamin E (31.62μg/100g) relative to 5.06iu/100g, 21.48μg/100g, 9.45μg/100g, 42.08μg/100g, 10.20μg/100g, 95.18μg/100g and 23.49μg/100g reported for vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C and vitamin E respectively. Doum palm pulp meal produced higher concentrations of phenols (82.10mg/g), flavonoids (39.15mg/g) and saponins (2.16mg/g) and lower concentrations of tannins (11.72mg/g) and alkaloids (6.13mg/g) relative to doum palm seed meal (p<0.05) which contained phenols (65.72mg/g), flavonoids (30.86 mg/g), tannins (18.83mg/g), alkaloids (9.17mg/g) and saponins (1.91mg/g). DPPH was greater (p<0.05) in doum palm pulp meal with 31.82% compared to doum palm seed meal (26.07%). It was concluded that DPML and DPSM is loaded with nutrients and other medicinal properties making them useful in livestock production.
Keywords: Phytochemicals; Medicinal Plants; Nutrients; Vitamins; Minerals; Antioxidant
