Baobab Monograph.pdf - Crops for the Future

contents are shown in table 4.6 (Glew et al., 1997). Becker (1983) and
Odetokun (1996) recorded high potassium levels, not present in the assay in
table 4.6, as well as a trace of copper. Mineral analysis of fruits in Malawi
also showed high contents of calcium, magnesium and traces of manganese
and copper (Saka et al., 1994). More recent analyses collated by the Baobab
Fruit Company (2002) show diverse data for minerals: in particular calcium
content is ca. 295-300µg/100g, phosphorus varies 96-210mg/100g; iron
content was 7mg/100g, magnesium 0.10 mg/100g, zinc 0.064mg/100g and
manganese 2.07 mg/100g.
Table 4.6 Mineral contents of baobab pulp
Mineral
µg/100g dry weight
Iron 17
Calcium 3410
Magnesium 2090
Zinc 10.4
Sodium 54.6
Phosphorus 733
Special attention has been given to measuring vitamin C in baobab fruit pulp
due to occasional reports of high content. Ighodalo et al., (1991) recorded
337 mg ascorbic acid/100g pulp for fruits in Nigeria, the Baobab Fruit
Company (2002) recorded 34-200mg/100g; and Palmer and Pitman (1972)
stated levels were higher than in orange. Joint efforts between the Malian
Agronomic Research Institute and the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable
Development reveal a range from 1505-4991 mg/kg (Sidibé et al., 1996).
However, contents remained similar in the same plant source from year to
year. Results from bulked samples provided consistent results of about 2200
mg/kg but fruits bulked only from individual trees kept the range of values.
However, full statistical analysis did not show consistent differences in
vitamin C between regions or between types of trees. The types of trees were
selected accordingly to a folk classification of black bark, red bark and grey
bark.
Pulp sweetness is provided by fructose, saccharose and glucose contents.
Fruit pulp is also acidic and this is due to the presence of organic acids
including citric, tartaric, malic, succinic as well as ascorbic acid (Airan and
Desai, 1954). This accounts for the tree often being called the Cream of
Tartar tree. There are reports of pulp possessing significant amounts of
thiamine (Toury et al., 1957), and the Baobab Fruit Company (2002) records
content at 0.038 mg/100g (also riboflavine at 0.06mg/100g, vitamin B6
2.13µg/100g, niacin 2.16mg/100g and total carotene at 200mcg/100g).
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