Physicochemical Properties and Juvenile Phenology of African Walnut (Plukenetia Conophorum Muell Arg) Accessions from Southeastern Nigeria
Physicochemical Properties and Juvenile Phenology of African Walnut (Plukenetia Conophorum Muell Arg) Accessions from Southeastern Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
African walnut (Plukenetia conophorum Muell Arg) is a member of the family Euphorbiaceae. It is cultivated principally for the nuts which are eaten raw or served as snacks after roasting or boiling. P. conophorum serves many nutritional and medicinal purposes as well as a good source of rural income.
Despite the potentials of this plant, its existence is threatened by deforestation, urbanization, and similar activities. The present study was designed in an attempt to salvage this useful plant from extinction and provide the basis for its conservation.
Four accessions of P. Conophorum were collected from Abia, Anambra, Enugu, and Rivers states, southeastern Nigeria.
The objectives of the research were to evaluate the effects of three manure rates on the juvenile growth stage of the accessions; determine the amino acid profile of the kernels and investigate possible bio-diversity among the accessions with respect to the seed physical traits and proximate components.
Four specific experiments were conducted to achieve the set objectives. Seed physical traits (edible portion, pulp weight, seed volume, seed weight, pulp (kernel) weight, seed circumference, and seed coat thickness) were measured.
Standard laboratory procedures were employed in determining the proximate composition (moisture content, ash, fat, crude protein, fiber, and carbohydrates) and amino acids profile of raw and boiled kernels.
A pot experiment was set up to evaluate the seedling emergence and growth responses to three levels of pig manure applications (0, 5. and 10t/ha).
Data were collected on days to seedling emergence, emergence percentage, vine length, vine base girth, number of leaves per plant, number of branches, root volume, and dry matter yield and partitioning to the leaves, stem, and roots.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page – – – – — – – – – i
Dedication – – – – – – – – – – ii
Certification – – – – – – – – – – iii
Acknowledgments – – – – – – – – – iv
Table of contents – – — – – – – – – v
List of tables – – – – – – – – – – vi
List of figures – – – – – – – – – viii
Abstract — – – – – – – – – – ix
INTRODUCTION – – – – – – – – 1
LITERATURE REVIEW – – – – – – – – 3
MATERIALS AND METHODS – – – – – – – 6
Materials – – – – – – – – – – 6
Methods – – – – – – – – – – 6
Statistical Analysis – – – – – – – – – 14
RESULTS – – – – – – — – – – 15
Discussion — – – – – – – – – – 47
Conclusion and recommendation – – – – – – – 52
REFERENCES – – — — – – – – – 53
INTRODUCTION
African Walnut (Plukenetia conophorum Muell Arg) is a member of the family Euphorbiaceae. It has been described as a semi-wild plant found naturally in the wild (Okigbo, 1977), or maybe extensively encountered in rural dwellings and in farmlands where they are protected.
Walnut (P. conophorum) is of African origin (Nwosu, 1979); hence “African” mostly attached to its common name. It is cultivated principally for the fruits (nuts) which are edible and are eaten alone or served as snacks with kola nut when boiled.
Egharevba et al., 2005 also reported that the fruit is known in other African countries like Gabon, Sierra Leone, Cameroon, Madagascar, and the Central African Republic, where it provides income to the rural people consequently improving their economy and nutrition.
Conophorum is a twining vine, and rarely sprawling herb, found in tropical wet and seasonally dry forest regions (Gillespie, 1993). The seeds are available in June-September when other fruits are scarce, throughout the southern states of Nigeria (Egharevba et al., 2005).
As documented by Irvine (1990), the plant which is a perennial is also a climber requiring the support of woody sticks to climb, grow and survive. The plant starts flowering between eighteen to twenty-four months after planting. The importance of P. conophorum as an indigenous fruit climber is enormous as it is a multi-purpose crop.
In most homes in southeastern Nigeria, the fruits provide income to rural people, thereby improving their economy. The roots, leaves, and seeds are said to have medicinal values (Johansen, 1950). The high nutrient potentials of the nut have been reported in the literature (Oke and Funsho, 1975; Ogunsua and Adebona, 1983).
REFERENCES
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Adebona, M.B., Ogunsua, A.O and Ologunde, M.O. (1988). Development of conophor nut- based cereal snack foods 1-biscuits. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 2: 123-126
Adesioye, H.O., (1991). The effect of processing and storage on the Chemical and sensory quality of conophor nut. Nigerian Food Journal 9: 33-38.
Adeyeye, E.I., (2000). Effect of cooking and Roasting of the Amino Acid composition of Raw Groundnut (Arachis Hypogaea) seeds. Acta Sci. Pol., Technol. Aliment. 9 (2), 201-216
Ajaiyeoba, E.O. and Fadare D.A. (2006). “Antimicrobial potential of extracts and fractions of the African walnut- Tetracarpiduim conophorum”. African Journal of Biotechnology, Vol 5, no 22, pp 2322-2325.
Akindahunsi, A.A. and Salawu S.O. (2005), Photochemical screening and nutrient –anti- nutrient composition of selected tropical green vegetables. Afr. BioTech. 4: 497-501.
Alireza, S.M and Bhagya, S. (2009). Effect of Recovery method on different property, of mustard protein. World Journal of Dairy and Food Science 4: 100-106
Ani, J.U. and Baiyeri K.P. (2008). Impact of poultry manure and harvest season on juice quality of yellow passion fruit (Passiflora edulis var Flavicarpa Deg.) in the sub- humid zone of Nigeria. Fruits 63: 239-247.
CSN Team.
