Analysis of Selected Nutrient Levels at Different Growth Stages of Dovyalis Caffra (Kei-apple) Fruits

Abstract

Abstract: - The quest to attain food security has led to domestication of the previously-termed wild fruits; amongst them Dovyaliscaffra (kei-apple) fruits. Radical human lifestyle changesand change in climatic conditions demands that food should not only be for basic nutrition, but also health benefits. This paper purposed to evaluate the nutrition and health levels of Dovyaliscaffra fruits at different growth stages using wet chemistry (Titration, pH, and Kjedhal method) and spectrophotometry (UV-VIS and AAS). For Carbohydrates, sucrose and fructose levels decreased with age as glucose levels increased. Both Proteins and Lipid levels decreased with time. The Iron content increased linearly, from 1.04900 ± 0. 000005ppm in young fruit to 1.15780 ± 0. 000001 ppm in old fruit. While the zinc content increased nonlinearly from0.16384 ± 0. 000002 ppm in young fruit to 0.21523 ± 0. 000009 in old fruit.Copper levels remained fairly constant as the fruits aged (0.01430 ± 0. 000007 ppm) and in cobalt the concentration decreased from 0.05604 ± 0. 000005 ppmto 0.03199 ± 0. 000006. Only Green (young) Kei-apple fruits indicated positive antioxidant scavenging capacity against DPPH radical at 515nm with an IC 50 level of 28.1385 ± 3.2224 μg/mL. Key words: Food security, Dovyaliscaffra, nutrition and health levels.