Plantain (Musa paradisiaca) is a food commonly consumed in Nigeria as boiled, roasted, or fried in its ripe and unripe form. Plantains harvested in Ekpoma, a predominately plantain-growing community, were studied for their mineral and sugar composition level of the unripe. Complexometric titration was used to determine the level of calcium and magnesium, flame photometer was used for sodium and potassium determination while zinc, iron, copper, chromium, manganese, and Co were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results of the mineral analysis of the unripe plantain by flame photometer and atomic absorption spectrophotometer obtained of sodium, and potassium were 11.64 and 678.2 mg/kg, respectively. While the results obtained for copper, cobalt, chromium, calcium, manganese, and zinc were 174.28, 28.67, 1.10, 38.14, 6.82, and 93.54 mg/kg, respectively. The percent Brix sugar level was 14%.The concentrations of these selected minerals; copper, zinc, and cobalt in the sample revealed that they are above the established threshold limits set by World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization. The study showed that the concentrations of other minerals; chromium, iron, manganese, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and sugar falls within the specified limits of World Health Organization. From this study, it is shown that the sample content of sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sugar were relatively normal and within the permitted range by the World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization, which serve as a good source for man and animal health.

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Asiedu JJ. Processing tropical crops. London: McMillan Education Ltd; 1999. p. 21.
2. WHO/FAO. World health report. Reducing risks, promoting healthy life in food crops.       Geneva: World Health Organization; 2001.
3. Murray Michael ND. The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. New York: Atria Books; 2005.
4. Adepoju OT, Adekola YG, Mustapha SO, Ogunola SI. Effect of processing methods on nutrient retention and contribution of plantain (Musa sp.)to nutrient intake of Nigerian consumers. Afr J Food Agric Nutr Dev. 2010;10(2):2099–2111.
5. Worth HG. A comparison of the measurement of sodium and potassium by flame photometry and ion-selective electrode. Ann Clin Biochem. 1995; 22:343–50.
6. Essien AI, Ebana RU, Udo HB. Chemical evaluation of pod and pulp of the fluted pumpkin (Telfaira occidentalis) fruit. Food Chem. 1992;45:175–8.
7. Ishola MM, Agbaji EB, Agbaji AS. A chemical study of Tamarandus indica(Tsamiya) fruits grown in Nigeria. J Sci Food Agric. 2000;51(1):141–3.
8. Kuhnlein HV. Nutrient values in indigenous wild berries used by the Nuxalk people of Bella Coola, British Columbia. J Food Comp Anal. 2009;2:28–36.
9. Bonire JJ, Jalil NSN, Lori JA. Sodium and potassium content of two cultivars of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata) and their source soils. J Sci Food Agric. 1990;53:271–4.
10. Essien AI, Ebana RUB, Udo HB. Chemical evaluation of pod and pulp of the fluted pumpkin (Telfaira occidentalis) fruit. Food Chem. 1992;45:175–8.
11. Gbolagade J, Ajayi I, Omitade Y. Nutritional compositions, fungi and aflatoxins detection in stored ‘gbodo’ (fermented Dioscorea rotundata) and ‘elubo ogede’ (fermented Musa parasidiaca) from southwestern Nigeria. Afr J Food Sci. 2011;5(2):105–10.
12. Abioye VF, Ade-Omowaye BO, Adesigbin MK. Effect of soy flour fractions on some functional and physico-chemical properties of plantain Flour. Afr J Food Technol. 2006;5:307–12.
13. Ibrahim HO, Osilesi O, Adebawo OO, Onajobi FD, Karigidi KO, Muhammad LB. Nutrients compositions and phytochemicalcontents of edible parts of Chrysophyllum albidum J Nutr Food Sci. 2017;7:1–9.
14. Okareh OT, Adeolu AT, Adepoju OT. Proximate and mineral composition of           plantain (Musa paradisiaca) waste flour; a potential nutrients source in the formulation of            animal feeds. Afr J Food Sci Technol. 2015;6:53–7.
15. Ogazi PO. Plantain production processing and utilization. Uku-Okigwe. Imo State, Nigeria: Paman Assoc. Ltd.; 1996. pp. 305–6.
16. Nguta J. Essential trace elements: trace elements in human and animal health. LAP Lambert Academic Publishing; 2010.
17. Offenbacher FG, Pi-Sunyer FX. Chromium in human nutrition. Ann Rev Nutr. 1988;8:543–63.
18. Stoecker BJ. Chromium. Brown ML, editor. Present knowledge in nutrition, Washington, DC: International Life Science Institute; 1990. pp. 287–93.
19. Chan S, Gerson B, Subramaniam S. The role of copper, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc in nutrition and health. Clin Lab Med. 1988; 18(4):673–85.

Plantain (Musa paradisiaca) is a food commonly consumed in Nigeria as boiled, roasted, or fried in its ripe and unripe form. Plantains harvested in Ekpoma, a predominately plantain-growing community, were studied for their mineral and sugar composition level of the unripe. Complexometric titration was used to determine the level of calcium and magnesium, flame photometer was used for sodium and potassium determination while zinc, iron, copper, chromium, manganese, and Co were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The results of the mineral analysis of the unripe plantain by flame photometer and atomic absorption spectrophotometer obtained of sodium, and potassium were 11.64 and 678.2 mg/kg, respectively. While the results obtained for copper, cobalt, chromium, calcium, manganese, and zinc were 174.28, 28.67, 1.10, 38.14, 6.82, and 93.54 mg/kg, respectively. The percent Brix sugar level was 14%.The concentrations of these selected minerals; copper, zinc, and cobalt in the sample revealed that they are above the established threshold limits set by World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization. The study showed that the concentrations of other minerals; chromium, iron, manganese, calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and sugar falls within the specified limits of World Health Organization. From this study, it is shown that the sample content of sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sugar were relatively normal and within the permitted range by the World Health Organization/Food and Agriculture Organization, which serve as a good source for man and animal health.

🔒 This is a subscription article

Full text is available to subscribers and institutional members. Please choose an option below to access it.

1. Asiedu JJ. Processing tropical crops. London: McMillan Education Ltd; 1999. p. 21.
2. WHO/FAO. World health report. Reducing risks, promoting healthy life in food crops.       Geneva: World Health Organization; 2001.
3. Murray Michael ND. The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. New York: Atria Books; 2005.
4. Adepoju OT, Adekola YG, Mustapha SO, Ogunola SI. Effect of processing methods on nutrient retention and contribution of plantain (Musa sp.)to nutrient intake of Nigerian consumers. Afr J Food Agric Nutr Dev. 2010;10(2):2099–2111.
5. Worth HG. A comparison of the measurement of sodium and potassium by flame photometry and ion-selective electrode. Ann Clin Biochem. 1995; 22:343–50.
6. Essien AI, Ebana RU, Udo HB. Chemical evaluation of pod and pulp of the fluted pumpkin (Telfaira occidentalis) fruit. Food Chem. 1992;45:175–8.
7. Ishola MM, Agbaji EB, Agbaji AS. A chemical study of Tamarandus indica(Tsamiya) fruits grown in Nigeria. J Sci Food Agric. 2000;51(1):141–3.
8. Kuhnlein HV. Nutrient values in indigenous wild berries used by the Nuxalk people of Bella Coola, British Columbia. J Food Comp Anal. 2009;2:28–36.
9. Bonire JJ, Jalil NSN, Lori JA. Sodium and potassium content of two cultivars of white yam (Dioscorea rotundata) and their source soils. J Sci Food Agric. 1990;53:271–4.
10. Essien AI, Ebana RUB, Udo HB. Chemical evaluation of pod and pulp of the fluted pumpkin (Telfaira occidentalis) fruit. Food Chem. 1992;45:175–8.
11. Gbolagade J, Ajayi I, Omitade Y. Nutritional compositions, fungi and aflatoxins detection in stored ‘gbodo’ (fermented Dioscorea rotundata) and ‘elubo ogede’ (fermented Musa parasidiaca) from southwestern Nigeria. Afr J Food Sci. 2011;5(2):105–10.
12. Abioye VF, Ade-Omowaye BO, Adesigbin MK. Effect of soy flour fractions on some functional and physico-chemical properties of plantain Flour. Afr J Food Technol. 2006;5:307–12.
13. Ibrahim HO, Osilesi O, Adebawo OO, Onajobi FD, Karigidi KO, Muhammad LB. Nutrients compositions and phytochemicalcontents of edible parts of Chrysophyllum albidum J Nutr Food Sci. 2017;7:1–9.
14. Okareh OT, Adeolu AT, Adepoju OT. Proximate and mineral composition of           plantain (Musa paradisiaca) waste flour; a potential nutrients source in the formulation of            animal feeds. Afr J Food Sci Technol. 2015;6:53–7.
15. Ogazi PO. Plantain production processing and utilization. Uku-Okigwe. Imo State, Nigeria: Paman Assoc. Ltd.; 1996. pp. 305–6.
16. Nguta J. Essential trace elements: trace elements in human and animal health. LAP Lambert Academic Publishing; 2010.
17. Offenbacher FG, Pi-Sunyer FX. Chromium in human nutrition. Ann Rev Nutr. 1988;8:543–63.
18. Stoecker BJ. Chromium. Brown ML, editor. Present knowledge in nutrition, Washington, DC: International Life Science Institute; 1990. pp. 287–93.
19. Chan S, Gerson B, Subramaniam S. The role of copper, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc in nutrition and health. Clin Lab Med. 1988; 18(4):673–85.