ASSESSMENT OF THE PHYTOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF AFRICAN PEAR

ASSESSMENT OF THE PHYTOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS AND PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF AFRICAN PEAR

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Plants are important in our everyday existence. They provide our foods, produce the oxygen we breathe, and serve as raw materials for many industrial products such as clothes, foot wears and so many others. Plants also provide raw materials for our buildings and in the manufacture of biofuels, dyes, perfumes, pesticides, adsorbents and drugs. The plant kingdom has proven to be the most useful in the treatment of diseases and they provide an important source of all the world’s pharmaceuticals. The most important of these bioactive constituents of plants are steroids, terpenoids, carotenoids, flavanoids, alkaloids, tannins and glycosides. Plants in all facet of life have served a valuable starting material for drug development (Ajibesin, 2011).

Antibiotics or antimicrobial substances like saponins, glycosides, flavonoids and alkaloids etc are found to be distributed in plants, yet these compounds were not well established due to the lack of knowledge and techniques. The phytoconstituents which are phenols, anthraquinones, alkaloids, glycosides, flavonoids and saponins are antibiotic principles of plants. Plants are now occupying important position in allopathic medicine, herbal medicine, homoeopathy and aromatherapy.

Medicinal plants are the sources of many important drugs of the modern world. Many of these indigenous medicinal plants are used as spices and food plants; they are also sometimes added to foods meant for pregnant mothers for medicinal purposes ( Akinpela and Onakoya, 2006). Many plants are cheaper and more accessible to most people especially in the developing countries than orthodox medicine, and there is lower incidence of adverse effects after use. These reasons might account for their worldwide attention and use.

The medicinal properties of some plants have been documented by some researchers ( Akinpelu and Onukoya, 2006). Medicinal plants are of great importance to the health of individuals and communities. It was the advent of antibiotics in the 1950s that led to the decline of the use of plant derivatives as antimicrobials (Marjorie, 1999). Medicinal plants contain physiologically active components which over the years have been exploited in the traditional medical practices for the treatment of various ailments (Ajibesin, 2011). A relatively small percentage of less than 10% of all the plants on earth is believed to serve as sources of medicine (Marjorie, 1999).
In an effort to find alternative sources of feedstuffs to replace some or all of the maize in the diet of pigs and other non-ruminant farm animals, several studies have been conducted to determine the suitability of some agro-industrial wastes as feed ingredients. These include cocoa pod husks, brewers spent grains, rice bran, maize bran, groundnut skins, and wheat bran. However, one by-product that requires consideration is cashew nut testa, a by-product obtained from the processing of cashew nuts. Its utilization as animal feed even at relatively low dosage formulations will minimize its disposal problem as well as reduce the cost of animal feeding.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

It is now known that agricultural materials are used as animal feeds and that they contain phytochemicals. These phytochemicals serve as antibiotic principles of plants.

The need for a cheap, renewable, easily available and nutritive source of material as feed supplements has therefore attracted me to investigate African pear leaf, (APL) as an alternative.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

Broadly stated, the purpose of this work is to investigate/assess the nutritive and medicinal values of African pear leaf as an effective replacement in animal diets. Specifically, this work investigated:
(i) the proximate constituents of African pear leaf; and
(ii) the qualitative and quantitative phytochemicals of African pear leaf.

CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Dacryodes edulis

Dacryodes edulis is an oliferous fruit tree found in equatorial and humid tropic climates and originates from Central Africa and Gulf of Guinea area (Ayuk et al, 1999). Its actual geographical area spreads from nearly all over the western coast of Africa across to Uganda. It is an evergreen tree attaining a height of 18–40 m in the forest but not exceeding 12 m in plantations. It has a relatively short trunk and a deep, dense crown.

The bark is pale gray and rough with droplets of resin. The leaves are a compound with 5-8 pairs of leaflets. The upper surface of the leaves is glossy. The flowers are yellow and about 5 mm across.

They are arranged in a large inflorescence. The fruit is an ellipsoidal drupe which varies in length from 4 to 12 cm. The skin of the fruit is dark blue or violet, whereas the flesh is pale to light green. The tree flowers at the beginning of the rainy season and bears fruits during 2 to 5 months after flowering. There are two variants of Dacryodes edulis: D. e. var. edulis and D. e. var. parvicarpa. The fruit of D. e. var. edulis is larger and the tree has stout, ascending branches. D. e. var. parvicarpa has smaller fruit and slender, drooping branches.(Kola, et al, 2011).

---

REQUEST FOR PROJECT MATERIAL

Good Day Sir/Ma,

WARNINGS!

PLEASE make sure your project topic or related topic is found on this website and that you have preview the abstract or chapter one before making payment.

Thanks for your interest in the research topic. The complete research work will cost you N2000 and we will send the material to you within 24hours after confirming your payment.

Make the payment of N2000 into any of the account number below and we will send the complete material to you within 24hours after confirming your payment.

Account Name: Agada Leonard E
Account No: 2070537235
Bank: UBA

Or

Account Name: Agada Leonard E
Account No: 3049262877
Bank: First Bank

Or

Account Name: Agada Leonard
Account No: 0081241151
Bank: Diamond Bank

After payment, send the following information to us through this email
address: enemsly@gmail.com

Topic paid for:
Amount Paid:
Date of Payment:
Teller No or Transaction ID:
Name of Depositor:
Depositor Phone Number:
Email address:

NOTE: The material will be forwarded to the email address you provided
within 24hrs after confirmation of the payment.

Thanks.

Agada Leonard E.
For: Enems Project.

 For more information visit our contact page @ CONTACT US

---