Impact of drying methods on the nutrient profile of fruits of

Introduction. Cordia africana Lam. is a tree that produces small fruits eaten in Ethiopia and other parts of Africa. The fresh fruit are sold in the market place in open bowls and, traditionally, the fruit is dried on the tree like dates. Materials and methods. Modern methods of processing the fruit were studied. Some of the changes in the nutrient content and chemistry of the fruit were measured using standard methods. Results and discussion. In the fresh fruit, the traditional method of handling collected 7.6 g dust kg-1. The TP (total phenols measured with Folin Ciocalteu‘s reagent) contents varied significantly between the processing methods. Using a solar dryer, the fruit dried within 5 days while the on-tree drying process took 63 days. The taste of the fruit from the direct solar dryer was less preferred to those dried on the tree. The TP values were found to be good in the dried fruits with 200 g fruit being enough to meet the daily requirement. In addition, the vitamin A and vitamin C levels were still good after drying and storage. For both fresh and dried fruits the organic acid and basic sugar profile did not show a very clear picture, as the difference in rainfall and evaporation rates between the two years of the study influenced these parameters. The headspace gas chromatography (HSGC) gave 20 volatile organic compounds and the coupled mass spectrometry (HSGC-MS) gave 39 volatile organic compounds. Conclusion. The dried fruit of Cordia africana could be used to partially meet the daily nutritional requirements of households in Ethiopia