<span style="font-size:11.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:EN-GB;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA" lang="EN-GB">Determination of nutritive value of <i>Ziziphus rugosa </i>Lamk.: A famine edible fruit and medicinal plant of Western Ghats</span>

Abstract

An attempt has been made to determine proximates, nutritive value, elemental composition and heavy metal content of the ripe, unripe pulp and seeds of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Ziziphus rugosa </i>Lamk. for two years (2009 and 2010). The edible parts of the pulp and seeds were separately analyzed with reference to their unripe and ripe conditions. The macronutrients studies of pulp reveal that nitrogen was the highest which was followed by potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium and Phosphorus in case of unripe pulp, whereas in case of ripe pulp nitrogen was followed by potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium and Phosphorus. Among the micronutrients iron was the dominant element which was followed by manganese, zinc and copper both in ripe and unripe pulp, respectively. The heavy metals, lead and cadmium were recorded only during 2009 and the lead was highest and values of cadmium were low not only in ripe pulp but also in unripe pulp. Among the components of nutritive value the moisture was the highest which is followed by carbohydrates, ash, fat, fibre and proteins, in case of unripe pulp, whereas in case of ripe pulp, the moisture was followed by carbohydrates, protein, fibre, fat and ash contents. In seeds, among the macronutrients nitrogen, was again the dominant and which was followed by potassium, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium in case of ripe seeds and nitrogen was followed by potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium and calcium in unripe seeds, respectively. In case of micronutrients, iron was the dominant metals which was followed by manganese, zinc and copper both in unripe and ripe seeds. The lead was the dominant heavy metal not only in ripe seeds but also in unripe seeds. Among the proximates, the carbohydrates was the dominate proximate which was followed by moisture, fat, fibre, ash and protein in case of ripe seed and carbohydrates was followed by moisture, protein, ash, fat and fibre in case of unripe seeds. Between the pulp and the seeds, the seeds have more nutritive value than that of pulp and again the unripe seeds are more nutritious than the ripe seeds. The variation of macronutrients and proximates between unripe and the ripe components in pulp and seeds is statistically significant (<i>P</i>=0.00032 for pulp and <i>P</i>=0.00052 for seeds and <i>P</i>=0.000158 for pulp and <i>P</i>=0.0032 for seeds, respectively). At the same time variation of micronutrients between pulp and seeds is not significant (<i>P</i>=1.426 for pulp and 4.227 for seeds, respectively). The average values of proximate, nutritive values and elemental components of pulp of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Z. rugosa</i> are compared with Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) values and discussed. Further, the uses of pulp of fruits to establish cottage industries to improve economic and social condition of local people are appended.<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight:bold">

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