Chemical composition of the seeds and defatted meal of Garcinia kola Heckel (Guttifferae) from Benin

Abstract

Garcinia kola is a medium sized tree found in the moist forests and widely distributed throughout West and Central Africa. The edible nut is highly valued in these countries. Seeds, commonly known as the bitter kola are appreciated. The seeds are used in traditional medicine and in many herbal preparations for the treatment of diseases such as laryngitis, liver disorders and bronchitis. The objective of this work is to determine the chemical composition of the seeds and defatted meal of Garcinia kola from Benin. The results of proximate analysis have showed that the seeds and defatted meal of Garcinia kola Heckel contained several families of chemical compounds: flavonoids, tannins, alkaloids, anthraquinons, saponosids, leucoanthocyanins, anthocyanins and heterosids. The contents of total phenols (1.65±0.08 mg/g), flavonoids (0.35±0.30 mg/g), anthocyanins (0.80±0.15 mg/g) in the seeds are present in significant amounts. Garcinia kola can be used as antiinflammatory and as active components of drugs derived from plants. The average percentages in starch, total sugars, and crude protein are: 62.9±0.4; 12.0±0.2; 3.69±0.50 % respectively. The mineral elements: N (0.59± 0.10%), P (0.09 ±0.00%), K (0.34±0.00%), Mg (0.07±00%), Ca (0.10±0.00%) show that Garcinia kola may be a good source of minerals. These results suggest that Garcinia kola possesses nutritional and healthy benefits