Major, Minor and Trace Element Analysis of Baobab Fruit and Seed by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis Technique
Isaac Kwasi Baidoo, John Justice Fletcher, Linda Osei Poku, Apori Ntiforo, Jude Bayor Simons, Nicholas Sakyitey Opata, Robert Ekow Quagraine
Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
Faculty of Applied Sciences, Physics Department, University for Development Studies, Navrongo, Ghana.
Nuclear Reactors Research Centre, National Nuclear Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Legon, Ghana.
Nuclear Reactors Research Centre, National Nuclear Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Legon, Ghana; Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana;.
DOI: 10.4236/fns.2013.48100   PDF    HTML     6,198 Downloads   8,792 Views   Citations

Abstract

Mineral element compositions of Baobab fruit and seed have been determined using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis. Total of 18mineral elements were determined of which 10 are not normally reported using other methods. The concentrations of heavy metals were: Arsenic < 0.06 and < 0.04, Mercury < 0.04 and < 0.04 Hg and Cadmium < 0.08 and < 0.04 respectively for the seeds and the fruit. The average concentration of trace elements in the seed were; Aluminium (11.50 μg/g), Barium (17.3 μg/g), Bromine (2.45 μg/g), Cobalt (0.07 μg/g), Copper (28.6 μg/g), Iron (<42 μg/g), Iodine (<0.04 μg/g), Manganese (17.7 μg/g), Sodium (23.53 μg/g), Vanadium (0.035 μg/g), and Zinc (12.06 μg/g), while the average concentrations of Aluminium (27.74 μg/g), Barium (13.10 μg/g), Bromine (3.01 μg/g), Cobalt (0.08 μg/g), Copper (14.9 μg/g), Iron (26.05 μg/g), Iodine (0.27 μg/g), Manganese (7.05 μg/g), Sodium (52.06 μg/g), Vanadium (0.08 μg/g), and Zinc (0.79 μg/g) were determined for the dried fruit pulp. The mineral concentrations of the baobab fruit and seed were characterized with high concentration of potassium, calcium, magnesium and substantive amount of chlorine [K (21350 μg/g), Ca (3170 μg/g), Mg (2310 μg/g) and Cl (211 μg/g), for the fruit pulp and K (12240 μg/g), Ca (2360 μg/g), Mg (4720 μg/g) and Cl (88.6 μg/g), for the seed]. The fruits and seeds present useful source of mineral needs for the indigenous African community where the trees are found and may be recommended as food supplement due to high content of calcium, magnesium and potassium.

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I. Baidoo, J. Fletcher, L. Poku, A. Ntiforo, J. Simons, N. Opata and R. Quagraine, "Major, Minor and Trace Element Analysis of Baobab Fruit and Seed by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis Technique," Food and Nutrition Sciences, Vol. 4 No. 8, 2013, pp. 772-778. doi: 10.4236/fns.2013.48100.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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