Food potentials of some unconventional oilseeds grown in Nigeria — A brief review

Abstract

A brief review of literature on kernels of Citrullus and Cucumeropsis ('egusi' melon) species, Telfairia occidentalis (fluted pumpkin), Lagenaria (gourd) species of all of Cucurbitaceae family and other oilseeds such as Pentaclethra macrophylla (African oil bean), Parkia spp. (African locust bean) both of Mimosaceae family and Butyrospermum paradoxum (shea butter) of Sapotaceae family which are grown and widely used as food in Nigeria is presented. The kernels of species of Cucurbitaceae form the bulk of unconventional oilseeds used for food in Nigeria. The nutritional value of some of the kernels and the physicochemical properties and storage stability of the oils obtained from them are discussed. The various consumable forms in which they exist are also described. The problems and prospects of these neglected oilseeds in Nigeria are highlighted.

Morphological and allozyme variation in a collection of Cucumeropsis mannii Naudin (Cucurbitaceae) from Côte d'Ivoire

“…The indigenous edible-seeded cucurbits are classified into the minor crops. There are several species of cucurbit in tropical Africa and Asia, cultivated mainly for their oleaginous seeds that are important in the social and cultural life of several peoples (Badifu, 1993;Das et al, 2002;Enujiugha and Ayodele-Oni, 2003;Achu et al, 2005;Zoro Bi et al, 2005). Cucumeropsis mannii Naudin belonging to this category of crop, is one of the most widely distributed and consumed at both rural and urban levels in Sub-Saharan Africa.…”

“…In Sub-Saharan Africa, C. mannii is prized for its oleaginous seeds consumed as thickeners of a traditional soup called egussi soup in Cameroon, Nigeria or Benin and pistachio soup in Côte d'Ivoire (Enujiugha and Ayodele-Oni, 2003;Achu et al, 2005;Zoro Bi et al, 2005;Loukou et al, 2007). This cucurbit is reported to be rich in nutrients (Badifu, 1993;Enujiugha and Ayodele-Oni, 2003;Achu et al, 2005), namely protein (36 AE 2.17%) and fat (45.89 AE 4.73%). In addition, commonly found in many traditional cropping systems, the plant is well adapted to extremely divergent agroecosystems and various cropping systems characterised by minimal inputs (Achu et al, 2005;Achigan Dako et al, 2006;Zoro Bi et al, 2006).…”

Évaluation de la biodiversité de quelques cucurbitacées d’Afrique subsaharienne à partir des données chromatographiques (CGC et CLHP)

“…Les huiles non conventionnelles constituent une alternative de développement pour les populations des pays émergents [1]. Parmi elles, les graines de cucurbitacées avec leur forte teneur en lipides sont de bonnes candidates [2,3].…”

Comparative Review of Crude Protein and Amino Acids of Leguminous Seeds Grown in Nigeria

“…It is a deep rooted drought resistance perennial shrub grown throughout the world under different climatic and cultural conditions [17,18]. In Nigeria, the plant has been listed as one of the underutilized legumes with broad potentials [19][20][21][22]. Several clinical studies have revealed the potential use of pigeon pea seed as melanin based in the dietary management of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases [23].…”