Minerals and Vitamins Composition of Some Fermented Food Condiments and Complex Salt – Potassium Sesquioxide.

Abstract

Selected vitamins and minerals composition of some indigenous African fermented food condiments: parkia clappertoniana (Nigerian name:‘Irugba'), coloynnthis citrullens (Nigerian name:'Ogiri), piper quineanes (Nigerian name:'lyere') and complex salt - potassium sesquioxide (Nigerian name:'Kaun') using the methods described by the Association of Officials of Analytical Chemists (AOAC) and Pearson have been studied. The results for vitamins A, E and K showed the mean values of 76.67, 92.31, 116.92 (mg/100g of sample) for parkia clappertoniana respectively; 52.00, 15.64, 87.42 (mg/100g of sample) for coloynnthis citrullens respectively; and 10.00, 13.33, 28.95 (mg/100g of sample) for complex salt - potassium sesquioxide respectively. The piper quineanes was found to be highly deficient in vitamin A and E but has only 50.00 mg/100g of sample of vitamin K. The condiments have ash contents between 1.7 - 2.2 mg/100g, but significant variations in the minerals occurred in the profile of the different condiments with calcium (25.120 ppm/100g of sample) and potassium (12.330 ppm/100g of sample) were the abundant minerals present in complex salt - potassium sesquioxide followed by parkia clappertoniana (1.510 ppm/100g of sample), while Na Mg, Zn, Cu, Fe, Mn were in micro levels in the other samples suggesting that condiments can sufficiently contribute to our daily minerals and vitamins needs.