Abstract

Non-timber forest products are important for food security and they provide a significant nutritional contribution especially crucial during times of drought and famine, and create more varied, palatable, and balanced diets. Three varieties of African star apple (Chrysophyllum albidum) relished by both adults and youth when in season were analysed for their nutrient and antinutrient composition as potential source of micronutrients using standard methods of AOAC and spectrophotometric methods. The results showed that 100 g portion of fresh Chrysophyllum albidum varieties  pulp contained between 73.2 and 76.3 g moisture, 3.9 and 4.1 g crude protein, 5.5 and 5.6 g crude fat, 4.1 and 4.5 g crude fibre, 2.2 g ash, 8.0 and 10.4 g carbohydrates, and yielded between 116.5 and 122.6 kcal of energy. The species were rich in micronutrients, containing between 666.21 and 700.81 mg potassium, 365.50 and 425.00 mg calcium, 211 and 228 mg phosphorus, 8.24 and 8.27 mg zinc, 86.80 and 99.63 mg ascorbic acid, 336.27 and 347.47 µg β-carotene; but very low in sodium (35.50 to 54.50 mg), iron (2.23 and 2.29 mg), phyatate (0.037 and 0.062 mg), oxalate (0.528 and 0.538 mg), tannins (1.345 and 1.560 mg) and trypsin inhibitors (3.165 and 5.095). C. albidum varieties were very high in micronutrients of nutritional importance, low in gross energy, sodium and antinutrients, and possess excellent values of index of nutritional quality, hence, their consumption by all people should be encouraged and promoted where and when the fruit is available.

Key words: Nutrient, antinutrient, micronutrients, Chrysophyllum albidum, nutritional quality.