Evaluation of Nutritional Composition of Borassus aethiopum Mart. hypocotyl ( koboula ) Consumed in Burkina Faso

Abstract

The Palmyra palm Borassus aethiopum Mart. is one of the most important palm resources in West Africa. In Burkina Faso, it occurs in the Eastern and Central-eastern regions and naturally widespread in several localities. Among its multipurpose uses, the exploitation of its seedlings or hypocotyls (koboula in local yaana language) is the main activity which provides financial income to indigenes. Hypocotyls are appreciated and consumed either raw or boiled as food by both young and old people in Burkina Faso. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional composition of raw and boiled koboula from B. aethiopum produced in Eastern and Central-eastern regions of Burkina Faso. A total of 24 koboula samples (12 raw and 12 boiled) were analyzed using standard methods. Proximate analysis expressed in g/100g dry matter (DM) basis of flour from hypocotyls showed a high carbohydrate content of 86.75 ± 1.57 (raw) and 87.19 ± 2.20 (boiled), lipids content, 0.23 ± 0.09 (raw) and 0.17 ± 0.07 (boiled) and protein, 9.16 ± 1.29 and 7.97 ± 1.28 for raw and boiled samples respectively. The ash content was 2.53 ± 0.28 (boiled) and 2.88 ± 0.56 (raw). Mineral content (mg/100g DM) showed the presence of Zn, 2.08 ± 1.70 (boiled) and 0.06 ± 0.08 (raw), Fe, 1.41 ± 1.40 (boiled) and 0.05 ± 0.05 mg (raw). The average values of Ca, Mg, Na and NH4 in boiled hypocotyls were respectively 14.16 ± 6.13; 8.42 ± 2.30; 1.45 ± 0.80 and 108.50 ± 19.99. The overall analysis shows that koboula has a high energy value (383.67 ± 2.20 kcal/100g for raw samples and 380.64 ± 5.39 kcal/100g for boiled samples). The hypocotyl of B. aethiopum could be transformed into different value-added products due to its nutritional characteristics.