PHYTOCHEMICAL AND PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF PULP AND SEED OF AFRICAN PEAR (Dacryodes edulis)

This study investigated the pulp and seed of the African Pear (Dacryodes edulis) for proximate composition and phytochemical parameters. A standard test method was employed to effective check both parameters. The proximate analysis shows that moisture content for the pulp and seed were 54.49±2.40% and 54.62±2.34%, ash content: 1.70±0.030% and 2.00±0.07%, carbohydrate composition: 11.06±0.12 and 10.10±0.68, protein contents were 8.75±0.50 and 9.63±0.68, lipids showed 23.50±1.00% and 22.60±1.34 and the fibre contents were 0.50±0.02 and 1.06±0.03 respectively. The phytochemical properties confirms the presence of alkaloid ( pulp = 7.68±0.30% and seed = 7.68±0.33%), flavonoid (pulp = 3.48±0.09% and seed = 3.38±0.33%), saponin (pulp = 2.50±0.03% and seed = 2.50±0.04%), tannins (pulp = 2.41±0.01% and seed = 2.60±0.21%) , oxalate (Pulp = 4.08±0.10% and seed = 4.09±0.09%), cyanogenic glycoside (pulp = 0.0008±0.00001% and seed = 0.0008±0.00001%) and phytate ( pulp = 0.63±0.01% and seed = 0.63±0.01%). The investigation has shown that the African pear contains essential nutrients with some medicinal metabolites, so could serve as a source of raw material for the pharmaceutical industries.