Assessment of Essential Minerals from Almond Fruits of Terminalia catappa Cultivated in Côte d’Ivoire

Aims: To assess the minerals nutrients in the almonds of Terminalia catappa from Côte d'Ivoire and their daily contributions in adult people’s diet.

Study Design: The almonds of Terminalia catappa extracted from the dry fruits harvested in different regions of Ivory Coast. The concentration of the minerals was determined and their contribution to cover the requirements required in the diet.

Place and Duration of Study: The dried fruits of Terminalia catappa were collected in the regions of tonkpi (Man and Danane) and Guemon (Duékoué) of the Côte d'Ivoire, from October to December 2015.

Methodology: The dry fruits of Terminalia catappa were opened using nutcracker. The extracted almonds were dried at 50°C for 48 h in an oven (MEMMERT, Germany). After cooling, they were crushed (Magimix Crusher) before being stored in sealed polyethylene bags and then stored in a desiccator before analysis (essential minerals content).

Results: The results show the presence of K, P, Mg, Ca, Na, S, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn. Potassium and phosphorus have the highest concentrations with respective contents of 1398.4±23.25 and 587.60±14.60 mg/100 g. Also, 100 g of almond samples contain 220.67±14.10 mg of magnesium, 176.80±9.71 mg of calcium, and 67.07±1.66 mg of sulfur and 32±1.74 mg of sodium. Essential trace elements concentration ranged between 0.96±0.96 mg / 100 g (Zn) and 13.60±10.74 mg/100 g (Cu). The consumption of almond by an Ivorian adult of 70 kg is 1 g/day; which provides the organism quantities of macroelements ranging between 0.320±0.01 mg/day (Na) and 13.98±0.23 mg/day (K), whereas the contributions in trace elements oscillate between 0,01±0.00 mg/day (Zn) and 0,14 ±0.00 mg/day (Cu).

Conclusion: This study revealed that the almonds of Terminalia catappa are good source of essential minerals. The contribution determined from the estimated intake showed that the almonds are able to cover the essential mineral requirements required in the human diet.