NUTRITIONAL AND PHYTOCHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF JUJUBE (ZIZIPHUS MAURITIANA LAM.) FRUIT HARVESTED IN CÔTE D'IVOIRE

Abstract

Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. (Rhamnaceae), commonly known as the jujube tree, is a wild fruit tree widespread across West African savannas, whose fruit is traditionally consumed and used in traditional medicine. In Côte d'Ivoire, while a few studies have addressed the leaf phytochemistry of this species, no published data, to our knowledge, describe the nutritional and phytochemical composition of its fruit. This study aimed to fill this gap by determining the proximate composition, energy value, phenolic compound content, vitamin profile and mineral content of whole dried fruit (pulp and seed) powder of Z. mauritiana harvested in the Korhogo department, Côte d'Ivoire. Analyses performed in triplicate revealed a carbohydrate-rich (82.63 ± 0.35 g/100 g) and therefore energy-dense composition (368.0 ± 0.4 kcal/100 g), with notable contents of phenolic compounds (myristicin, eugenol, gallic acid, caffeic acid and catechin) and vitamins (E, C and B3 predominating). The mineral profile was dominated by calcium (530.5 mg/100 g) and potassium (264.4 mg/100 g). One-way ANOVA followed by Duncan's multiple range test (5% threshold) allowed statistical ranking of these compounds within each biochemical family. These first-of-their-kind results for Côte d'Ivoire confirm the nutritional potential of Z. mauritiana fruit and support its promotion as a local food resource, while pointing to the need for further studies on its geographic and varietal variability.