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The nutritional quality of the dry fruit of Tetrapleura tetraptera, a tropical deciduous forest tree with characteristic fruits, used as a spice, was assessed. The fruit shell, fruit pulp and seed contained varying amounts of nutrients such as protein, lipids and minerals, which were comparable and some were even higher than popular spices such as red pepper, onion, curry and ginger. The crude fibre content of the fruit shell was noteworthy and can be considered a good source of this nutritional factor. The distribution of crude lipids which indicated the location of the aroma of the spice, would enhance the processing of the fruit and improve its use.

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Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is prevalent in developing countries. Socioeconomic status is increasingly being associated with nutritional status of individuals. Efforts to control or eliminate VAD must focus on socioeconomic factors and how to tackle them in the midst of other well recognized strategies. This research sought to determine the socioeconomic factors that may affect the serum retinol levels of pregnant women in Calabar, Nigeria. A total of 101 pregnant women in Calabar were studied for the effect of socioeconomic factors on the maternal vitamin A status using a structured household questionnaire and biochemical analytical techniques. The study revealed that a majority (82.2%) of the women studied were in their normal reproductive years (20-45 years), 63.4% had previous childbirth experience, 89.1% had formal education, 85% were employed, 85% lived in medium to large families (4 persons and above) while 62.3% were in the middle or high income class (over N50,000 per month). Among the women, only 35.6% had adequate vitamin A status while the rest had deficient (15.8%), low (32.7%) or very high (15.8%) levels. The results of the analysis of the influence of socioeconomic characteristics of the women on serum retinol status showed a positive relationship between serum retinol level and education (P < 0.05; F = 2.84) and between serum retinol level and parity (P < 0.05; F = 2.05). Serum retinol concentration was not affected by age, occupation, household size and other household characteristics used in the study. Increased maternal education and appropriate child spacing may be the key strategies for the elimination and control of vitamin A deficiency in developing countries.

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