CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF TROPICAL ALMOND NUTS (TERMINALIA CATAPPIA L) CULTIVATED IN SOUTH WEST NIGERIA.

Olatidoye, O.P^1*, Sobowale S.S², Akinlotan, J.V²   andOlorode, O.O²

¹Department of Food Science and Technology, Igbinedion University Okada, Nigeria

²Department of Food Science and Technology, Moshood Abiola Polytechnics, Nigeria

E-mail: waledoye@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Proximate, mineral and functional properties of flour and physicochemical properties of oil of tropical almond (Terminalia catappa) nut were investigated using standard methods. Fresh almond nut were screened, cut into two halves and then dried in forced air oven at 40⁰C for 6hrs, milled and stored for analysis. The mean values of various parameters for proximate composition (%) were: moisture (9.3±0.2), ash (4.8±0.1), ether extract (3.3±0.1), crude protein (32.6±0.2), crude fibre (0.4±0.3) and carbohydrate (by difference) (49.90).The calculated fatty acids were noted to be 29.4% and energy was 1531.04KJ/100g. Minerals (mg/100g) included: Na (27.72±0.2), K (42.17±0.1), Ca (27.17±0.3), Mg (35.92±0.2), Mn (1.6±0.2), Cu (0.4±0.1), Zn (0.8±0.1), Fe (6.38±0.1) and P (24.26±0.2) while Pb, Cd and Hg were not detected. The relationship between Na and K and Ca and P; are desirable with the respective ratios of Na/K (0.66) and Ca/P (1.12). The physicochemical properties of almond nut oil were:- colour (yellow), refractive index (1.465), specific gravity (0.981), acid value (1.3±0.4mgKOH/g, saponification value (128.0±0.3mg KOH/g), iodine value (65±0.1mg Iodine/g), peroxide value (2.8±0.2) and free fatly acids (0.64±0.1mg/g). The physico-chemical properties of the oil indicated that it is edible, non-drying and may not be suitable for soap making. The data obtained from the study clearly show the nutritional potentials of the nut as alternative food ingredient for protein supplementation and its reliability as a good source of amino acids for school children and adults.

Key words: Almond nut flour, Almond oil, chemical composition, physicochemical properties, seed flour