Abstract

This study investigated the chemical composition of Cyperus esculentus nut and Phoenix dactylifera fruit. The nuts and fruits were purchased as commonly sold in Wukari, Nigeria. They were cleaned, sorted for healthy parts, sun-dried and milled into fine powder. The AOAC, AAS and GC-MS methods were adopted for the proximate, mineral and phytochemical analysis, respectively. The results show that C. esculentus nut is higher in percentage moisture, crude protein, crude fiber and lipid compared to P. dactylifera fruit, while P. dactylifera fruit is higher in percentage dry matter, ash and carbohydrates. C. esculentus nut contain higher level (ppm) of magnesium, manganese, copper, zinc and phosphorus than P. dactylifera fruit. Potassium, sodium, calcium, chromium and iron are more abundant in P. dactylifera fruit. The phytochemical result shows the presence of varieties of chemicals. C. esculentus nut and P. dactylifera fruit contain certain phytochemicals that are food additives and some that are known to possess anti-inflammatory, hypotensive, antimicrobial, antioxidant, lipid moderating properties and immune booster. Both plant materials contain appreciable amount of macronutrients which are very essential for provision of energy and nourishment of human body system. C. esculentus nut and P. dactylifera fruit are recommended in general nutrition.

Key words: Cyperus esculentus, mineral, nutrition, Phoenix dactylifera, phytochemical, proximate.