Dried fruits of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. (jujube) and Doum Palm (Hyphaene thebaica Mart.)
are widely consumed and traded in markets across the Sudano-Sahelian belt of Nigeria, yet
their comparative nutritional and phytochemical profiles remain insufficiently documented.
This study determined the proximate composition and characterized the volatile bioactive
constituents of methanolic extracts of both fruits using Gas Chromatography–Mass
Spectrometry (GC-MS). Proximate analysis (AOAC, 2005) showed that Doum Palm fruits
(Sample A) contained significantly higher ash content (8.32 ± 0.0011%), crude fibre (7.04 ±
0.1202%), and crude protein (2.59 ± 0.0092%) compared to Z. mauritiana fruits (Sample B),
while Z. mauritiana recorded higher moisture (10.73 ± 0.0566%), crude lipid (1.01 ±
0.1273%), and carbohydrate (77.03 ± 0.3701%) contents. GC-MS profiling of methanolic
extracts identified 60 compounds in each fruit. The dominant constituents of Doum Palm
extract were 1-Hepten-3-one (8.97%), Furfural (8.82%), 1-Decanol (5.96%), and Dodecane
(4.16%), while the Z. mauritiana extract was characterised by 2-Propenoic acid (8.97%), 3
Furaldehyde (8.82%), C2-Octyl compound (5.12%), and 1-Dodecanol (5.96%). The diversity
of bioactive compounds detected — including fatty acids, furan derivatives, alcohols, and
terpenoids — supports the established ethnomedicinal value of both fruits and highlights their
potential as sources of nutraceuticals and natural bioactive agents. Both fruits constitute
nutritionally valuable food commodities suitable for integration into pesticidal, dietary, and
pharmaceutical applications.
A. A.· INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHE...· 0 citations
Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is an economically important fruit crop susceptible to post
harvest fungal diseases. Hyptis suaveolens L. (Bush Mint) is a medicinal aromatic shrub
renowned for its diverse bioactive secondary metabolites, and the present study investigated
the phytochemical composition and antifungal potential of its aqueous and ethanolic leaf
extracts against Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, and Rhizopus
oligosporus — major causative agents of watermelon fruit rot. Extraction was performed by
the cold maceration method of Harborne (1998) with slight modifications; qualitative and
quantitative phytochemical analyses were conducted using standard procedures; Gas
Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to characterize bioactive
components; antifungal activity was evaluated by the agar well diffusion method (50–400
mg/mL); and the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) was determined by broth
microdilution in Sabouraud Dextrose Broth across serial two-fold dilutions of 6.25–400
mg/mL. Phytochemical screening confirmed alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, tannins,
terpenoids, and phenols, with the ethanolic extract showing significantly higher
concentrations; GC-MS identified 45 compounds, with resorcinol (15.05%), squalene
(13.72%), d,α-tocopherol (12.13%), 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (5.49%), and phytol isomer
(4.17%) as the most abundant; the ethanolic extract exhibited superior antifungal efficacy with
larger inhibition zones, particularly against A. flavus, followed by A. niger, F. oxysporum, and
R. oligosporus, with the lowest MIC (12.5 mg/mL) recorded against A. flavus, while the
aqueous extract required up to 50 mg/mL. These findings underscore the significant antifungal
potential of H. suaveolens and support its application as a natural botanical fungicide for
managing post-harvest fungal diseases in watermelon fruits.
A. A.· International Journal of Agr...· 0 citations
Parkia biglobosa (Jacq.) R.Br. ex G.Don (African locust bean; Hausa: ‘Dorawa’) is a
multipurpose leguminous tree of the family Fabaceae whose fermented seed condiment —
locally known as ‘dawadawa’ or ‘iru’ — is a culturally significant protein- and flavour-rich
food ingredient across West and Central Africa. The present study investigated the proximate
nutritional composition, qualitative phytochemical constituents, and volatile bioactive
compounds (by GC-MS) of fermented P. biglobosa seed. Proximate analysis (AOAC, 2000)
revealed a high crude protein content (25.62 ± 0.28%), total carbohydrate (44.96 ± 0.22%),
crude lipid (8.11 ± 0.04%), crude fibre (5.59 ± 0.11%), ash (3.80 ± 0.05%), and moisture
(11.92 ± 0.03%). Qualitative phytochemical screening of the aqueous extract confirmed the
presence of saponins, steroids, alkaloids, and glycosides, while tannins, flavonoids, cardiac
glycosides, and phenolics were absent. GC-MS analysis of the methanolic extract identified 50
bioactive compounds; the most abundant were tetradecane (10.89%), oxalic acid (10.84%),
tridecane (8.94%), heptafluorobutyric acid (7.78%), dodecyl vinyl ester (5.75%), and
2,6,10,14-tetramethylhexadecane (5.16%). The high protein and carbohydrate contents affirm
the well-established nutritional significance of African locust bean as a low-cost protein
supplement and energy source. The diverse array of identified phytochemicals supports the
ethnomedicinal use of P. biglobosa and highlights its potential as a source of bioactive lead
compounds for nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.
A. A.· RESEARCH JOURNAL OF FOOD SCI...· 0 citations
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