A Comparative Analysis of the Nutritional and Chemical composition of six West African Medicinal Fruits

Background: Many nations can no longer afford the ever rising cost of healthcare, governments across the world are in search of alternative and affordable ways of disease control. Clinical studies are revealing hope from herbs.

Objectives: A comparative analysis of the nutritional and chemical composition of six fruits used for treating many diseases in West Africa; to examine the composition, concentration and education for easy choice of suitable fruits based on peculiar situations as well as to provide easy access of consensus evidence to busy healthcare practitioners. Also, clinical evidence of plant medicine is not as much as modern medicine and education is necessary.

Methods: A systematic review investigation. Theory is a Community approach to intervention services. Search engines were Google scholar, Firefox and Google.

Results: Macro and micronutrients were present in the plants. Moisture was high in all but, Tetrapleura tetraptera. Anacardium occidentale, 86.00g/100 g/dry weight showed highest carbohydrates concentration, Annona muricata was lowest, 14.63%. Crude protein was generally low in all the plants, Chrysophyllum albidum scored highest, 7.00%, Annona muricata scored lowest, 1.00%. Fat was generally low in all, highest fat, 4.00% occurred in Tetrapleura tetraptera and least, 0.88% in Annona muricata. Fibre concentration ranges from low to high. The highest fibre occurred in Tetrapleura tetraptera, 45.00% and the least in Mangifera indica, 1.80%. Ash was excessively high, 60.00% in Annona muricata, Mangifera indica came last with a score of 1.95%. Outcome will be beneficial to users.

Conclusion: The fruits were rich in nutrients with nutraceutical and pharmacological properties, justifying its use as native medicine.