Abstract
Environmental variables such as temperature, rainfall, sunshine among others are known to influence fruiting, seed formation and quality of food crops by different mechanisms. Levels of nutrients, anti-nutrients and mineral composition of periodically harvested seeds of Treculia africana (a legume) during the fruiting season were assessed to determine the influence of season on quality parameters. Standard methods of analysis were used to evaluate protein, fat, crude fibre, ash, carbohydrate, moisture hydrogen cyanide, phytate, tannin, oxalate, alkaloid, saponinns and minerals. Highest nutritive and anti-nutrient values of seeds occurred at mid season and late season development periods respectively. Observed quality parameters were 14.55% protein, 5.74% fat, 2.10% crude fibre, 1.45% ash, 33.20% moisture, 50.14% carbohydrate, 0.45mg/100g HCN, 0.8 phytate 6.10mg/100g, 0.45mg/100g 1.65mg and 0.77mg/100g for early season seeds. The mid season seeds quality parameters increases were protein (5.1%) fat (0.34%) ash (0.22%), moisture (2.40%) carbohydrate (4.87%) and mean increase of 3.88% for anti-nutrient. Phytate, oxalate and phenolic values were highest at late season seeds. The mineral contents were comparable among the seasons. Calcium (20.0mg) and magnesium (280mg) recorded the least values in late season seeds. The relationship between seasonal changes in nutrients, anti-nutrients and seasons was significant (P < 0.05). The quality parameters are within the Recommended Daily Allowance for Nutrients, anti-nutrients and minerals but for calcium and magnesium. The seasonal changes posit Treculia africana as multi-purpose nutritional and health maintenance food crop.
Highlights
Foods of plant origin are important sources of macro and micro nutrients in humans
The objective of the study was to determine how time of harvest during fruiting season affects the quality of Treculia africana seeds
The fruiting seasons of African breadfruit tree crop was divided into Early season seeds ESS (October – December) Mid-season seeds MSS (January – March) and Late season seeds LSS (April – May)
Summary
Foods of plant origin are important sources of macro and micro nutrients in humans. The ability for food crops to deliver the needed nutrients in human are influenced by environmental conditions. Changes in environmental condition may result to delayed growth, incomplete maturity and loss of quality. Quality parameters such as protein, oil carbohydrate, minerals and anti-nutritional factors are influenced by such factors as temperature, rainfall, sunshine, soil minerals etc [2]. Seasonal impacts on quality parameters have been traced to the effects of climatic factors on biochemical processes Such as formation of chlorophyll, photosynthesis energy transfer, phosphoration, condensation, development of metabolites among others [6,7]. These reactions influence mineral demands and uptakes by growing plants and the resulting deposition patterns of synthesized materials in seeds. The minerals profile of plant soil conditions reflects on the mineral contents of harvested seeds, stems etc
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