Nutrition & Health

Biography

Biography: Ignatius Onimawo

Abstract

Proximate and mineral compositions of three selected traditional spices (Zingiber officinale, Allium sativum, and Monodora myristica) were evaluated in this study. Disease-free samples of garlic, ginger and African nutmeg were bought from a local market at Ekpoma in Southern Nigeria. The samples were peeled and were grinded to a desirable texture. Wet samples were analyzed for the proximate composition and mineral contents. From the results, moisture, ash, crude protein, fat, fiber and carbohydrate content of ginger were 72.20, 0.81, 8.91, 11.71, 1.38, and 2.01%, respectively; that of garlic were 59.90, 0.94, 12.41, 6.13, 1.95, 18.53%, respectively, while African nutmeg had 8.14, 1.39, 13.57, 46.48, 27.39, and 3.06%, respectively. It was also found that sodium, zinc, iron, and calcium were 7.32, 4.99, 9.68, and 182.67mg/100g, respectively in ginger, 9.41, 1.89, 8.47, 1016 mg/100 g in garlic. In African nutmeg, it was found to be 110.20, 135.91, 147.28, and 166.10mg/100g, respectively. Consequently, ginger, garlic and African nutmeg possessed varying proportions of the proximate components as well as mineral elements. However, African nutmeg possessed better moisture, ash, crude protein, crude fat and crude fiber contents with high sodium, zinc and iron mineral contents compared to other spices examined while garlic had a better carbohydrate and calcium levels.