Nutrient composition and nutritional potential of wild fruit Dialium guineense

Characterization of the nutrient composition of Dialium guineense (D. guineense) fruit was investigated. Fruit was sampled from the sub-Guinean forests of Senegal and analyzed for carbohydrates, proteins, lipids and essential micronutrients. HPLC analysis indicated high glucose and fructose content (90.8% of total soluble sugars). Total quantities of proteins (5.3%), lipids (3.1%) and essential vitamins (ascorbic acid, β-carotene and tocopherols in traces) were found to be relatively low by comparison. Nevertheless, fruits of D. guineense appeared to be potential sources for select micronutrients including copper, iron, manganese, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and essential amino acids. Specifically, compared to common fruits consumed in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, D. guineense appears to be a potential source of iron (4.8-8.4 mg/100 g), magnesium (0.1 g/100 g), and copper (0.7 mg/100 g) and would contribute toward meeting the recommended daily allowances of these micronutrients for use to combat malnutrition. Zinc content (0.5-1.6 mg/100 g) was comparatively lower. The high concentration of some mineral micronutrients thus suggests that D. guineense fruits may potentially be used as a food source or fortifying ingredient for locally processed foods to reduce deficiencies in selected, commonly deficient nutrients for at-risk populations.