ABSTRACT
The nutritional proximate composition; elemental minerals, and phytochemical contents of wild and cultivated species of Tigernuts, was investigated in Calabar in 2018. The wild and cultivated species of Tigernuts were sourced from the Botanical garden in the University of Calabar. Elemental minerals, nutrient proximate compositions and phytochemicals in the wild and cultivated species were analyzed using the Association of Official Analytical Chemist (AOAC) methods of 2016. Results of the analysis revealed that significant (P<0.05) differences were detected in the nutrient compositions, mineral elements and phytochemical contents among the wild and cultivated species of Tigernuts. There was significant differences in Tannins, phenols, cardiac glycosides, reducing sugars, saponins, alkaloids, and flavonoids. This phytochemicals were more in the wild than in the cultivated species. The high tanins, cardiac glycosides and low reducing sugars accounts for the high bitterness and non-palatability of the wild Tigernuts species. Elemental minerals like sodium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese, zinc and iron were all high in the cultivated Tigernuts species than in the wild species. Hence, the study concluded that the high phytochemical contents in the wild couple with very low reducing sugar contents is highly implicated in the bitterness and non-palatability of the wild Tigernuts species.           Â
TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE i
CERTIFICATION ii
DEDICATION iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iv
ABSTRACT v
TABLE OF CONTENTS vi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
- Introduction 1
- Justification of the Study 2
- Aim and Objectives 3
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 History of Tigernuts 4
2.2 Classifications of tigernuts 5
2.3 Nutrition composition of tigernuts 5
2.4 Phytochemical composition of tigernuts 7
2.5 Amino acids in tigernuts 7
2.6 Processing techniques 8
2.7 Importance of tigernuts 10
CHAPTER THREE: MATERIALS AND METHODS
3.1      Experimental sites                                                                                          11
3.2 Sources of experimental materials 11
3.3 Determination of nutritional proximate analysis 12
3.4 Determination of phytochemical content 17
3.5 Data collection and analysis 19
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Results 20
4.2      Discussion                                                                                                      28      Â
CHAPTER FIVE
5.1 Summary 29
5.2 Conclusion 30
REFERENCES 31
