TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
CERTIFICATION
DECLARATION
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ABSTRACT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF FIGURES
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of Study 1
1.2 problem statement
1.3 justification
1.4Objectives of the Study
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW
CHAPTER THREE MATERIALS AND METHOD
CHAPTER FOURRESULTS
CHAPTER FIVE CONCLUSIONS
LIST OF TABLES
LIST OF FIGURES
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
Tropical tree fruits are important in the supplementation and improvement of diets [Gunasena HPM and A Hughes 2000]. The tropical forest and its adjoining savannah zone are rich in wild tree fruits, many of which are neither cultivated nor eaten in the zone [Egunjobi JK and KM Rawal 1978]. These lesser-known food plants are extremely rich in food value while some have unusual tastes, not known among the cultivated species [Egunjobi JK et al 1978]. The potential of indigenous tropical tree fruits has not been fully realized [Gunasena HPM and A Hughes 2000].
Tamarind (Dialium guineese wild) with English name black velvet or velvet tamarind tree is commonly called ‘Awin’ among the Yoruba’s and icheku by Igbo’s. The fruit pulp which is red, with a Sweet-sour, astringent flavor similar to baobab, but sweeter, is eaten raw when dry by man and animal (Matsuda, 2006). In addition, the bark, roots and leaves of Dialium guineense have medicinal properties and are used for the treatment of variety of health problems. The fruits of the plant are chewed by most women in Southeastern Nigeria to improve lactation and check genital infection [Nwosu, M.O.et al 2000]. The leaves and stem bark are also used as folklore remedies for the treatment of infections such as diarrhea, severe cough, bronchitis, wound, stomachaches, malaria, fever, jaundice, ulcer and hemorrhoids.
Tamarind (Tamarindus indica L.), an indigenous underutilized tree fruit, has many valuable properties and almost every part of the tree is utilized by rural and urban dwellers [Gunasena HPM and A Hughes 2000]. In Nigeria, tamarind fruit is usually consumed fresh and the seed discarded. Tamarind pulp has a unique sour taste due to the natural occurrence of sugars and plant acids together [Krithika V. and S. Radhai Sri 2008]. The rural dwellers utilize the pulp in beverage production, using ancient processing techniques. The traditional processing methods are cumbersome, slow, non-hygienic and highly subjective, often resulting in no uniform products whose acceptability is restricted to certain parts of the country. Tamarind is underutilized because inadequate research efforts are directed on it [Gunasena HPM and A Hughes 2000].
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT
There is an increase in the demand for juice and juice type beverages [Bates RP, Morris JR and PG Crandall 2001], resulting in increased fortunes of leading beverage manufacturers. Most of the available beverages in Nigerian markets are either imported or produced under franchise agreement with foreign-based multi-national companies. The multi-nationals own rights to formulae and trademarks, and supply semi-finished products with instructions to indigenous bottlers who merely install the plant, produce according to specifications and market the products [Ogundiwin JO and T Omobuwajo 1990; Omobuwajo T 1993; Omobuwajo T 1998]. Large percentage of the profit in the lucrative beverage industry thus accrues to foreign partners. Research efforts should therefore be intensified to develop simple and affordable processes to produce standard beverages from indigenous resources, especially underutilized tree fruits like tamarind.
