Studies of the Chemical Composition of Fruits and Seeds of Pawpaw (Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal)

Abstract

An international team of scientists continues to study the resource potential of non-conventional or little-utilized plants. Pawpaw (Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal) fruit (pulp and peel) and seeds were analyzed for their nutritional compositions. Seeds exhibited significantly higher levels of crude protein, lipid, and vitamin E (11.82 %, 34.0 %, and 20.80 mg/kg, respectively) than those of the other parts. Sucrose in pulp was 501.40 g/kg, which was the highest among the samples. There is more fructose in the peel 111.90 g/kg. Results revealed that the total amino acids in the seeds, pulp, and peel of A. triloba were 144.6, 21.1, and 20.9 g/kg, respectively. Among the different plant parts used in this study, the seeds contained the most abundant essential amino acid and non-essential amino acid. The glutamic acid exhibited the highest concentration among the tested amino acids. Oleic and linoleic acids in seeds were 40.13 and 38.84 g/100 g, respectively, which were the highest among the pulp and peel. Potassium was the most abundant essential trace mineral element in different parts. This element is present in large amounts in the peel (15487 mg/kg) and pulp (12198 mg/kg) compared to the seeds (3888 mg/kg). In the seeds, P, Ca and S were higher (1937, 1368, and 1322 mg/kg, respectively) than in pulp and peel (1046, 450, 499 and 831, 837, 646 mg/kg, respectively). The high content of beneficial substances makes it possible to include Asimina triloba in the list of species recommended for cultivation on a larger scale and to use its products more widely in dietary nutrition.