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Nutritional Composition of Minor Indigenous Fruits: Cheapest Nutritional Source for the Rural People of Bangladesh

Md. Tariqul Islam Shajibab*
Department of Biochemistry, Sher-E-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207. Bangladesh

Md. Nuruddin Miah
Department of Biochemistry, Sher-E-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka-1207. Bangladesh

Parveen Begum
Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh

Mahbuba Kawser
Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh

Lalita Bhattacharjee
FAO-National Food Policy Capacity Strengthening Programme (NFPCSP), Bangladesh

Ashrafi Hossain
Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh

Inge S. Fomsgaard
Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Forsøgsvej 1, Slagelse 4200, Denmark

Sheikh Nazrul Islam
Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

In line of the development of a food composition database for Bangladesh, ten minor indigenous fruits were analyzed for their nutrient composition comprising ascorbic acid, carotenoids and mineral values. Nutrient data obtained have been compared with published data reported in different literatures, book and United States Department of Agriculture-National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Ascorbic acid was highest in Wood apple and lowest in Roselle. Monkey jack contained the highest amount of carotenoids, zinc and copper. Content of calcium, magnesium and phosphorous were found highest in Antidesma velutinum. Potassium was the highest in Wood apple followed by in Moneky jack. It was noted that most of the minor fruits have much higher amount of ascorbic acid than the national fruit- Jack fruit ripe, the king fruit- Mango ripe of Bangladesh and exotic fruits- Apple and Grapes. The nutrient values of these minor fruits would make awareness among the people for their mass consumption for healthy life and to grow more minor fruit trees from extinction in order to maintain biodiversity.

Keywords: Minor indigenous fruits, Nutritional compositions, Cheapest nutrient source, Bangladesh

Location:

Start Date: 00-02-2008

End Date: 00-05-2009

Program Area: Resource Development and Management

Commodity: Fruit

Objectives:

Food composition database is of great importance in addressing health and nutrition issue. It is essential for planning food, nutrition and health related policy tools. As a result there is a worldwide call to develop a National Food Composition Database. Unfortunately Bangladesh does not have a food composition database of its own. It is in process of development and analysis of nutrient composition of indigenous and ethnic foods. In line of preparation of food composition database for Bangladesh, this study has attempted to analyze selected minor fruits for their ascorbic acid, carotenoids and mineral contents. The nutrient values of these minor indigenous fruits will generate awareness among the peoples of Bangladesh to eat these minor fruits more for healthy life. Updating the food composition database with these nutrient data will enrich it which is essential for health and food policy program planning.

Methodology:

2.1. Reagents The analytical grade acetone, petroleum ether, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and metaphosphoric acid were purchased from Merck (Darmstadt, Germany). β-carotene, ascorbic acid and minerals standards, 2,4 di-nitrophenyl hydrazine were purchased from Sigma Chemical Co. (St. Louis, MO, USA). 2.2. Sampling protocol A multiregional sampling plan was employed to collect representative fruit samples. The fruit items were collected from four different wholesale markets located at entry points to Dhaka city, where fruit items come from all over the country, and two samples were collected from remote areas where some particular minor fruits are available. Every two samples was pooled together to make three analytes for analysis of every nutrient constituent in the fruit. 2.3. Collection and preparation of fruit sample Different minor/underutilized fruit samples for analysis were collected from February 2008 to May 2009. These fresh fruits were washed with distilled water and the surface water was removed using blotting paper. The cleaned air-dried samples were cut into small pieces (peeled where needed) by hand, using a clean knife on a clean cutting surface. In case of carotenoid these operations were performed very fast to avoid any degradation. 2.4. Analysis of ascorbic acid Ascorbic acid in fruit sample was estimated by spectrophotometric method (AOAC, 1998). The fresh fruit sample was homogenized in a mortar with pestle using metaphosphoric acid (5% metaphosphoric acid in 10% acetic acid solution in water), filtered, treated with 85% sulfuric acid solution and 2,4-dintrophenylhydrazine and incubated at 60oC for 60 minutes in water bath. It was read at 520nm in spectrophotometer (UV-1601, UV-Visible, Shimadzu, Tokyo, Japan). 2.5. Analysis of carotenoid All-trans-β- carotene (Sigma Chemical Co., USA) was used as the standard. Total carotenoid content in the fruit sample was determined by acetone-petroleum-ether extraction followed by spectrophotometric measurement (Roriguez-Amaya and Kimura, 2004). Extraction of carotenoid was performed by grinding of processed food sample in mortar and pestle, filtration through sintered glass filter under vacuum and separation from acetone to petroleum ether. The petroleum eluent adjusted to specific volume was read at 450nm in a spectrophotometer (UV-1601, UV-Visible, Shimadzu, Tokyo, Japan) for concentration of total carotenoids. 2.6. Analysis of minerals Mineral content in the fruit sample was analysed by Atomic absorption spectrophotometric method (Petersen, 2002). Dried fruit sample (0.5g) was subjected to wet digestion with nitric acid and perchloric acid in an auto-digestor at 325^oC to release the minerals in the fruit. The digested sample after appropriate dilution was aspirated into the spectrophotometer where it was burnt the elements into atomic components, which were read at their respective wavelength. Amount of iron, copper, zinc, manganese, calcium and magnesium in the fruits were estimated by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (Model-AA-7000S, Shimadzu, Tokyo, Japan). Potassium content was analyzed by flame photometry and phosphorous content was measured with spectrophotometric method. A standard calibration curve was prepared for each of the mineral using the respective standard mineral purchased from Sigma Chemical Co., USA. 2.7. Data quality It was maintained by precision and accuracy by carrying out intra- and inter-laboratory analysis of selected nutrient for particular fruits in and between the laboratory at the Institute of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Dhaka and Nutritional Biochemistry laboratory of ICDDR’B (International Centre for Diarrheal Disease and Research, Bangladesh) using internal standard (FAO-NFPCSP, 2010).

Source of Information: Food Chemistry (2012),

Article Link (Online Journal): doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/ j.foodchem.2012.11.035

Funding Source:

1.

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The minor indigenous fruits are rich in ascorbic acid, carotenoids as well as macro and micro-mineral. Making awareness for mass use of these minor fruits would help to prevent suffering from many nutritional deficiency diseases. Increased use of these fruits would also help to grow imitativeness for cultivation of more minor fruit plants to protect them from extinction in order to maintain biodiversity. Moreover, the nutrient values contained in these fruits will enrich the food composition database for Bangladesh which is essential for health, nutrition and food policy program planning.

Knowledge Management: Journal