Document Type : Original Research Article
Authors
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of natural sciences, University of Jos, Jos, Nigeria
Abstract
Nutritional and structural analysis of S. mycrophylla were investigated using standard methods. Elemental analysis of the purified S. mycrophylla gum sample revealed the content of potassium, sodium, calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron and zinc to be 600.0 ± 1.52 mg/g, 300.23 ± 0.2 mg/g, 0.31 ± 0.00 mg/g, 410.33 ±1.0 mg/g, 149.6 ± 4.60, 8.7±0.00 mg/g and 61.1±0.22 mg/g respectively. Gum had high content of potassium, sodium, magnesium and zinc and lower concentration of calcium, manganese and iron. Proximate analysis shows moisture content to be 5.70 ± 0.15%, Ash content 2.80±0.05%, Protein content 1.43 ± 0.01%, crude fiber 4.30 ± 0.01%, and crude fat 1.50. ± 0.03%, and carbohydrate 85.98±1.10%. These results compared favorably with acacia senegal gum (gum arabic) and makes this exudate gum highly recommendable for use in food and pharmaceutical industries. NMR spectroscopy revealed that the gum is a galactomannan type polysaccharide with mannose/ galactose ratio of 2.60. Due to its good physicochemical properties and mannose/ galactose ratio, Sweitenia mycrophylla galactomannan could be a useful polysaccharide for food and pharmaceutical industry.
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