Nutritional and chemical characterization of the fruit of Adansonia digitata L.

Adansonia digitata L., also known as Baobab tree, is distributed throughout the African continent and has several traditional uses, including medicinal and food [1,2]. The edible parts of this tree include the pulp of the fruit (commonly known as mukua), which since 2008 has been approved as a food ingredient by the European Commission and the Food and Drug Administration [1]. Furthermore, it contains a high content of vitamins (including vitamin C), minerals, soluble and insoluble dietary fiber[3]. Therefore, the objective of this study was to carry out the nutritional and chemical characterization of the mukua pulp, to obtain a complete characterization of this much consumed fruit. The nutritional profile analysis, including proteins, crude fat, moisture, ash, carbohydrates, and energy were performed following the AOAC official methods [4]. Free sugars were identified by an HPLC-RI system, organic acids by UFLC-PDA and fatty acids by GC-FID. Regarding the obtained results, mukua pulp had a very low moisture content (11.9 + 0.3 g/100 g dw), with carbohydrates being the macronutrient present in the highest quantity (89.6 ± 0.2 g /100 g dw), followed by proteins (2.7 ± 0.3 g/100 g dw) and by crud fat (1.8 + 0.1 g/100 g dw), representing an energy value of 386 ± 1 kcal. Three sugars (fructose, glucose and sucrose) and three organic acids (oxalic, citric and succinic) were identified, with fructose (2.3 ± 0.2 g/100 g dw) and citric acid (8.73 ± 0.03 g/100 g dw) standing out, respectively. Twelve fatty acids were quantified with greater abundance of oleic (C18:1n9c - 81%) and palmitic (C16:0 - 10%) acids. As it can be seen, the fruits of Adansonia digitata L., are nutritionally interesting. Also, the high content of citric acid with scientifically proven preservative power and the high content of oleic acid with multiple pharmacological effects, increases the interest in the exploration of mukua. Therefore, a more complete study of this product is important, including all the beneficial effects that its consumption can bring to the consumer's health.To FCT (Portugal) for financial support through national funds FCT/MCTES to CIMO (UIDB/00690/2020), for the PhD grant (SFRH/BD/145467/2019) of F. Fernandes, the contract of Lillian Barros through the institutional scientific employment program-contract and the contract of Sandrina. A. Heleno (CEECIND/03040/2017) through the individual scientific employment program-contract. To MICINN for the financial support Ramón & Cajal given to researcher M.A. Prieto; to the Government of Galicia for the financial support of Axudas Conecta Peme to the IN852A 2018/58 NeuroFood project.