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Background:Exploring under–utilized plant fruits could be of high significance for food security and nutritional requirements, therefore, it can effectively add to the overall improvement of a nation’s economy. Blood plum (Haematostaphis barteri) is a wild edible vegetable and its fruit contains pulp and oily seed which are edible.Methods:A study was carried out to determine fatty acid profile, phospholipid and phytosterol contents as well as some physicochemical parameters of pulp and seed oils of Haematostaphis barteri (popularly known as blood plum) using standard analytical techniques.Results:The most concentrated fatty acids were palmitic acid (15.34%) < oleic acid (22.31%) < linoleic acid (50.56%) for the pulp oil while that of seed oil were oleic acid (12.34%) < palmitic acid (25.37%) < linoleic acid (38.87%). Arachidic, behenic, lignoceric and palmitoleic acids were all present in small quantities with none of them recording up to 1.0% in either of the samples. Lauric was determined but not detected in the pulp oil. The fatty acid composition of pulp and seed oils contained a healthy mixture of all the types of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The value of polyunsaturated/saturated index (P/S) which is associated to the impact on human health was higher in the pulp oil (2.47). Phospatidylinositol had the highest content (17.69 mg/100g) in the pulp oil while the highest content in seed oil was phosphatidylcholine (351.82 mg/100g). The total phytosterols for pulp and seed oils were 17.09 and 436.37 mg/100g, respectively. The results of some physicochemical parameters of pulp and seed oils were colour (light amber yellow and pale yellow), kinematic viscosity (9.15 and 10.62 mm2/s), specific gravity (0.92 and 0.92), unsaponifiable matter (1.63 and 2.54%), flash point 29.00 and 295.00oC), saponification value (189.40 and 190.22 mg KOH/g), peroxide value (8.15 and 9.20 meq O2/kg), iodine value (94.24 and 122.42 mg of I/100 g) and acid value (16.50 and 24.00 mg KOH/g), respectively.Conclusion:Generally, high percentage PUFA and low value of cholesterol may make either of the sample oils, a good food source on health wise basis. It was also revealed that both sample oils may be developed into a commercial product for use in food products.

The leaves of Hymenocardia acida are commonly used in Northern Nigeria alone or in combination with other plant parts to manage sickle cell disease. Phytochemical screening and antisickling studies were carried out. The phytochemical screening revealed the presence of carbohydrates, tannins, flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, resins, steroids and terpenes. The leaves ethanol extracts at 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0% w/v were observed to reverse sickled human Red Blood Cells (RBC) using microscopic technique. The antisickling activity was found to be dose dependent. The fractions containing flavonoids, saponins and carboxylic acids were found to be responsible for reversal of the sickled RBC. Therefore, the use of the plant by the traditional medical practitioners in the treatment of sickle cell anaemic patients is justified.

African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) is very popular with fish farmers and consumers, and commands a very high commercial value in Nigeria markets. The fresh fish sample collected from the fish farmer was smoked in a smoking kiln using sawdust, rice bran and melon husk while electric oven was used as the control. In the study proximate, mineral and amino acid compositions of the smoked fish samples were evaluated using standard analytical techniques. The crude protein content of the smoked fish samples ranged from 15.18% in sawdust heat treatment to 63.23% in electric oven heat source with CV% of 10.68 while crude fat range values were 9.47 -16.44% (CV% = 18.80). The most highly concentrated mineral was sodium (7.00 -9.95 mg/100g sample) and strictly followed by magnesium (5.45 -7.45 mg/100g sample). Lead and cadmium were not at the detectable range of AAS. The total essential amino acid (TEAA) with histidine in the smoked fish samples ranged from 40.25 g/100g crude protein in rice bran to 70.09 g/100g protein in sawdust heat sources while lysine had the highest concentrations (7.02 -7.78 g/100g protein). The calculated isoelectric point (pI) and predicted protein efficiency ratio (P-PER) were (4.99 -6.91) and (2.30 -2.52), respectively while first limiting amino acid (LAA) was isoleucine for electric oven and sawdust heat sources, and valine for melon husk and rice bran smoking. The number of essential amino acids where supplementation may be required in the smoked fish samples using four different heat sources was three each. Generally, all the fish samples were found to be good sources of essential minerals and amino acids.

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