Comparative Evaluation of Nutritive Value of Okro (Abelmoschus esculentus) and Bush Mango (Irvingia gabonensis) Fruits Grown in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

The proximate, mineral and amino acid compositions of okro (Abelmoschus esculentus) pod and bush mango (Irvingia gabonensis) seed were determined using standard analytical techniques. Moisture, ash, crude fat, crude fibre, protein and carbohydrate (by difference) contents (%) of A. esculentus and I. gabonensis were: 25.9 and 2.1, 9.0 and 11.5, 17.2 and 62.0, 4.3 and 0.9, 21.8 and 7.4, and 21.8 and 26.1, respectively. The most abundant minerals were Ca (170.6 and 431.5 mg/100g sample), K (108.5 and 161.0 mg/100g), Mg (83.6 and 171.1 mg/100g) and Na (88.0 and 113.5 mg/100g), respectively. Generally, the two samples were found to be good sources of essential minerals while harmful metals such as Pb and Cd were not at detection limit of AAS. The levels of Na/K and Ca/P ratios were desirable compared with the recommended values. The amino acid profile revealed that samples of A. esculentus and I. gabonensis contained nutritionally useful quantities of most of the essential amino acids with total essential amino acids (TEAA) of 35.4 and 38.1 g/100g crude protein or 40.6 and 47.8% of the total amino acid (TAA), respectively while the limiting amino acids (LAA) were Val and Thr. The calculated isoelectric points (pI) and predicted protein efficiency ratios (P–PER) were 5.1 and 4.8, 2.5 and 4.1 for A. esculentus and I. gabonensis, respectively. However, dietary formula based on these fruits may require amino acids supplementation. Keywords: Abelmoschus esculentus, Irvingia gabonensis, nutritional composition