Nutritional characterization of Strychnos madagascariensis fruit flour produced by Mozambican communities and evaluation of Its contribution to nutrient adequacy

The indigenous fruit Strychnos madagascariensis is usually processed to flour, called nfuma, being highly consumed during staple food shortage. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional composition of nfuma and its nutrient adequacy. Flours from four districts of Mozambique were analyzed using AO...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Foods 2022-02, Vol.11, p.1-17
Main Authors: Chemane, Sandra S. I., Ribeiro, Mafalda, Pinto, Edgar, Pinho, Susana C. M., Martins, Zita Sá, Almeida, Agostinho, Ferreira, Isabel M. P. L. V. O., Khan, Maida, Pinho, Olívia, Casal, Susana, Viegas, Olga
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Estimated daily intake
Fruit flour
Indigenous fruits
Macronutrients
Micronutrients
Monkey orange
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The indigenous fruit Strychnos madagascariensis is usually processed to flour, called nfuma, being highly consumed during staple food shortage. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional composition of nfuma and its nutrient adequacy. Flours from four districts of Mozambique were analyzed using AOAC methods for proximate composition, HPLC for sugar, amino acids (AA), vitamin E and carotenoids and ICP-MS and FAAS for minerals. The results showed that nfuma stands out for its high content of fat (26.3–27.8%), mainly oleic acid, fiber (>6%), vitamin E (6.7 to 8.0 mg/100 g) and carotenes (2.2 to 2.6 mg/100 g). The main amino acids of nfuma protein were Arg, Asp and Glu, and Lys was the limiting one. The mineral composition reveals K (~1200 to 1700 mg/100 g) as the main macromineral followed by Mg > Ca > Na. The main trace element was Mn (~4 mg/100 g) followed by Fe > Zn > Cu > Cr > Co. Aluminum (~3 mg/100 g) was the main non-essential element and Rb, Ni, Sr, Ba, V, Cd were also quantified. Assuming the daily consumption of 50 g, nfuma provides 82% of Vitamin A dietary reference value for toddlers, while the consumption of 100 g contributes to 132% and 60% of Mn and vitamin A DRV for adults, respectively. Despite the nutritional advantages of nfuma, this flour can be a source of Ni, highlighting the importance of the study of good practices in its preparation to decrease the exposure to non-essential elements.
ISSN:2304-8158
DOI:10.3390/foods11040616