PROXIMATE ANALYSIS,ANTI-OXIDANT VITAMINS AND HEAVY MINERALS COMPOSITION IN Solanum incanum(BITTER GARDEN EGG)FRUIT

Abstract

ABSTRACT The aim of this research is to determine the proximate, minerals and anti-oxidant vitamins composition of Solanum incanum fruit .The research was carried out in the Department of Biochemistry,Faculty of Science, Usman Danfodio University Sokoto. The proximate composition was carried out using the following parameters (%Ash, %Moisture, %Crude Fibre, %Lipid and %Carbohydrate) using the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) Method,the minerals analysed was Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium, Calcium and Iron using the Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer method, while the antioxidant vitamins analysed was Vitamins (A, C, and E)using the Rutkowski method. The result for the proximate composition of Solanum inanum fruits showed that Ash content was 1.06±1, Moisture content was13.5±0.5, Protein content was15.03±0.45,lipid content was23±7.7 while the crude fibre and Carbohydrate was4.16±0.58 and 43.08±7.08 respectively. The result for the Minerals composition i.e Sodium,Potassium,Magnesium, Calcium and Iron was 0.75, 0.85, 0.936, 0.305 and 0.057respctively. The result for the Antioxidant vitamins for Vitamin A was 12.65±0.54, for Vitamin C was 1771.75±9.13 and for vitamin E was 126.01±0.815. Solanum incanum fruit is rich in Proximate composition and antioxidant vitamins and also in minerls, and it has been in use since ancient times to treat a wide range of diseases in traditional system medicine.