Assessement of Vitamins Contents of Almonds Deriving From Terminalia catappa L. (Combretaceae) Produced in Côte d'ivoire

Aims: To assess the vitamins nutrients in almonds deriving from fruits of Terminalia catappa L. (Combretaceae) cultivated in Côte d'Ivoire.

Study Design: Mature fruits of Terminalia catappa harvested from various regions of Côte d’Ivoire, and then dried for allowing extraction of their almonds. Vitamins investigated from the almonds powder and their daily intake assessed according to the mean daily consumption of Terminalia catappa.

Place and Duration of Study: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Food Sciences, Biochemistry Department of Biosciences Unit, Félix Houphouet-Boigny University, between October and December 2015.

Methodology: Total of 540 kg Terminalia catappa dry fruits were gathered from suppliers in collecting regions. The dry fruits were opened using nutcracker for their almonds extraction. The extracted almonds were oven-dried, crushed, put into polyethylene bags, and then kept into a desiccator till analyses.

Results: The almonds displayed many essential vitamins, namely ß-carotene, tocopherol (vit E), niacin (vit B3), pyridoxine (vit B6), thiamine (vit B1), and folic acid (vit B9). The β-carotene and vit E (liposoluble vitamins) recorded respective contents of 1.25 ER/100 g and 1.19 mg/100 g. Regarding vit B3, vit B6, vit B1, and vit B9 (hydrosoluble vitamins) the studied almonds provided 116.4 μg/100 g; 38.31 μg/100 g, 2.75 μg/100 g, and 0.16 μg/100 g, respectively. The estimated daily intakes of the vitamins assessed are 0.012 ER/day (ß-carotene), 0.002 μg/day (vit B9), 0.012 μg/day (vit E), 0.03 μg/day (vit B1), 0.38 μg/day (vit B6), and 1.16 μg/day (vit B3).

Conclusion: The study showed the richness of vitamins essential in the almonds of T. catappa. The consumption of such vegetables could rely in nutritional profit for the human health and can therefore be recommended in the human diet.