Mangrove Fruit Bioprospecting: Nutritional and Antioxidant Potential as a Food Source for Coastal Communities in the Rawa Aopa Watumohai National Park, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe present study aimed to identify the nutritional and antioxidant potential of mangrove fruits of Xylocarpus granatum, Sonneratia alba, and Bruguiera gymnorrhiza growing in Rawa Aopa Watumohai National (RAWN) Park. The protein content of X. granatum fruits (4.50 mg/g) was recorded to be higher than that S. alba (0.93 mg/g) and B. gymnorrhiza (1.09 mg/g), while the fat content in fruits of X. granatum (4.88%), S. alba (4.42%), and B. gymnorrhiza (4.74%) was similar. The total sugar content in fruits of X. granatum (14.8 mg/100 g), S. alba (14.9 mg/100 g), and B. gymnorrhiza (13.52 mg/100 g) was also similar. The ascorbic acid content in X. granatum fruit (65 mg/100 g) was higher than that in S. alba (40 mg/100 g) and B. gymnorrhiza (41.87 mg/100 g). However, the fruits of S. alba contained much higher micronutrients of Mn (0.063 mg/g), Zn (0.72 mg/g), and Fe (0.51 mg/g) than those of in X. granatum (0.052, 0.52, and 0.38 mg/g, respectively), and B. gymnorrhiza (0.012, 0.11, and 0.34 mg/g, respectively). Moreover, the fruits of X. granatum contained much higher macronutrients of K and Na compared to fruits of other mangroves. Thus, the findings of this study showed the promising values of all studied mangrove fruits as bio-nutrition and antioxidant sources, and high potentiality to use as renewable food sources for the coastal communities in RAWN Park.