ABSTRACT

Fruit of Capsicum are among the most consumed spices throughout the world and are very important commercially. Plant bioactive compounds are increasingly gaining more attention because of their effectiveness in improving human health and nutrition. The sturdy was aimed at determining the phytochemical, mineral, and nutritional compositions of some selected Capsicum spp fruit. The study was conducted due to lack of information on chemical compositions of the selected fruit in Gombe. The proximate, mineral and nutritional compositions of the selected fruits (C. annum var. grossum, C. annum var. accuminatum, C. frutescens var. abbreviatum, and C. frutescens var. maxima) were analyzed using standard procedure. The phytochemical study revealed the present of alkaloid, flavonoid, saponin and steroid. Glycoside was present only in capsicum annum var. grossum while tannin was absent in all of the four varieties. The proximate values % of the fruits were moisture (85.10-80.57), Total ash (3.03-1.27), crude protein (3.72-2.45), crude fat (2.01-1.54), crude fiber (4.00-2.14), and carbohydrate (9.03-5.27). The results for mineral analysis were Magnesium (11.33-5.20), Manganese (9.67-0.77), Potassium (34.14-22.22), and Sodium (3.34-0.17) while copper was not detected in all of the four varieties. The results indicated that these fruit used as major condiment in preparation of food can also have therapeutic effect against several diseases, such as anti oxidant property by inhibiting the formation of free radical in the body.

TABLE OF CONTENT

Preliminary pages

Declaration…………………………………………………………………………………………i

Certification……………………………………………………………………………………….ii

Dedication………………………………………………………………………………………...iii

Acknowledgment……………………………………………………………………………..…..iv

Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………………...vi

Table of content………………………………………………………………………...………..vii

List of tables………………………………………………………………………………………x

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………1

1.1 Background of the study……………………………………………...………….……………1

1.2 Statement of the problem…………………………….………………………………………..2

1.3 Justification……………………………………………………………………………………3

1.4 Aim……………………………………………………………………………………………3

1.5 Objectives…………………………………………………………………………………......3

1.6 Research questions……………...……………………………………………………………..3

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 Literature review………………………………………………………………………………4

2.1 Background……………………………………………………………………………………4

2.2 Origin and distribution…………………………………………………………………….…..5

2.3 Botanical description…………………………………………………………………….……6

2.3.1 General description……………………………………………………………………….…6

2.3.2 Roots………………………………………………………………………………………...6

2.3.3 Leaves……………………………………………………………………………………….6

2.3.4 Inflorescence………………………………………………………………………………...6

2.3.5 Pollination…………………………………………………………….……………………..7

2.3.6 Fruits…………….…………………………………………………………………………..7

2.3.7 Seeds………………………………………………………………………………………...8

2.4 Botanical classification………………………………………………………………………..8

2.5 Ecology………………………………………………………………………………….…….9

2.6 Chemical composition of the fruits……………………………………………………………9

2.7 Nutritional value of the fruits………………………………………………...………………10

2.8 Economic importance………………………………………………………………………..10

2.9 Health benefit………………………………………………………………………………..11

2.9.1 Therapeutic properties……………………………………………………………………..11

2.9.2 Antimicrobial property of pepper…………………………………………………….…....11

2.9.3 Antioxidant and anticancer properties of pepper…………………………….……………12

2.10 Health risk of pepper…………………………………………………………….…………12

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 Material and method……………………………………………………………………...….13

3.1 Study area……………………………………………………………………………………13

3.2 Sample collection………………………………………………………………………...…..13

3.3 Preparation of extract………………………………………………………………………..13

3.4 Determination of mineral element…………………………………………………………...14

3.5 Qualitative determination of phytochemical compositions………………………………….15

3.6 Determination of nutritional compositions…………………………………………………..16

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 Result………………………………………………………………………………………...21

4.1 Result of qualitative phytochemical analysis……………………………………………...…22

4.2 Result of mineral analysis…………………………………………….………………...……24

4.3 Result of nutritional analysis…………………………………………….…………………..26

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 Discussion, conclusion and recommendation………….………………………………...…..27 

5.1 Discussion……………………………………………………………………………..……..27

5.2 Conclusion………………………………………………………………………………...…31

5.3 Recommendation………………………………………………………………………….....31

References………………………………………………………………………………………..32