N.B. Aguebor-Ogie

Research has been ongoing on many plant materials, especially those discarded as waste, to exploit their nutritional and antinutritional properties. Generally, plant parts (seeds, leaves, bark, fruits, stems) contain bioactive agents with medicinal properties but require proper assessment. Avocado (P. americana) seeds are often discarded after taking the pulp of the fruit. Until recent times, Researchers have identified a wealth of therapeutic compounds in the husk of avocado seeds which are normally discarded. The present study was aimed at determining the level of anti-nutrients and possibly heavy metals in the seed of Avocado. The seeds were removed from the pulp, washed, dried, cut into smaller pieces and allow to air dry completely and then pulverised. The seed powder of P. americana was analysed to determine its mineral contents and some antinutritional properties (oxalate and phytate). The quantitative analysis of these parameters showed that the anti-nutritive components are Phytate (1.07%) and oxalate (6.16%) respectively. The mineral analysis revealed zinc (3.415 mg/kg ±0.145), Lead (0.035 mg/kg ±0.005), iron (2.775 mg/kg ± 0.105), Nickel (0.115 mg/kg ±0.005), Copper(0.265 mg/kg ±0.015), Cobalt (0.14 mg/kg ±0.01), Chromium (0.08 mg/kg ±0) respectively. This study, therefore revealed that P. americana seeds have a low level of oxalate and phytate contents while there were low levels of some heavy metals as seen in the result. In conclusion, the seeds of P.
Americana were found to be a beneficial potential therapeutic agent.

Although Elaeis guineensis (Palm kernel) oil is a dietary staple across West Africa, the antioxidant properties of locally processed, unrefined varieties remain under-researched. This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant capacity of locally extracted palm kernel oil using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging assay. The oil was obtained via mechanical pressing and its efficacy was benchmarked against ascorbic acid. The findings revealed a concentration-dependent rise in antioxidant activity. Specifically, inhibition rates grew from 14.13% at the lowest concentration (50 µg/mL) to a peak of 44.15% at 250 µg/mL. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) was calculated at 285.77 µg/mL. While the unrefined oil displayed lower scavenging potential than the standard ascorbic acid, the results confirm that locally extracted palm kernel oil retains bioactive compounds, such as tocopherols, capable of reducing oxidative stress. These findings validate the oil's traditional value and suggest it has promise as a functional food ingredient.