Journal of Science and Technology 12 (03) December 2011 ISSN 1605 – 427X © Sudan University of Science and Technology www.sustech.edu Review: Organic foods from Annona squamosa (Gishta) and Catunaregam nilotica (Kirkir) Abdalbasit Adam Mariod1, Sara Elkheir1, Yousif Mohamed Ahmed1, Bertrand Matthaus2 1.Food Science & Technology Department, College of Agricultural Studies, Sudan University of Science & Technology, P.O Box 71 Khartoum North, Sudan. 2Max Rubner-Institute, Federal Research Institute for Nutrition and Food, Department for Lipid Research, D-48147 Münster, Germany E-mail: [email protected] ABSTRACT: Non-conventional fruits, which grow wildly, are being considered because their constituents have unique chemical properties and may augment the supply of organic food. Annona squamosa and Catunaregam nilotica are considered an important source for wild organic fruits in Sudan. The two fruits are produced without using any fertilizers and chemicals. The fruits are used as organic food by rural populations mainly for domestic consumption in many Sudanese states. They have multiple uses, including the fruits, seeds, oil, bark, and leaves. The oil and protein contents of Annona squamosa and Catunaregam nilotica are very high. The major fatty acids in A. squamosa and Catunaregam nilotica oils are oleic, linoleic, palmitic, and stearic. The tocopherol content of the extracted oils is very high with delta-tocopherol as the predominant tocopherol in A. squamosa oil, and beta- tocopherol in C. nilotica oil. The two fruits contained mainly protein and oil components and can be considered a good source for organic food. KEYWORDS: Amino Acids, Annona squamosa, Catunaregam nilotica, Fatty Acids, Organic food, Seed oil, Tocopherols INTRODUCTION compared with commercial foods has Organic foods are made in a way that been studied many times. The difficu- complies with organic standards set by lties in controlling soil factors such as national governments and international available nutrients, texture, organic organizations matter, and other factors of tempe- (http://www.ams.usda.gov). For the rature, light, seed type, planting and vast majority of human history, harvesting dates as well as post harvest agriculture can be described as handling makes obtaining statistically organic; only during the 20th century reproducible studies difficult to impo- was a large supply of new synthetic ssible (Smith 1993). Catunaregam chemicals introduced to the food nilotica is a wild fruit belong to the supply. This more recent style of family Rubiaceae and known locally in production is referred to as "conventi- Sudan as kerkir. C. nilotica is widesp- onal". Under organic production, the read in Central and East Africa as well use of conventional non-organic pesti- as in Cameroon and Nigeria (Steentoft, cides (including insecticides, fung- 1988). In Sudan it is found in south icides, and herbicides) is precluded. and north Kordofan states. It grows as However, contrary to popular belief, a medium height shrub (usually less certain sprays and other materials that than 3m) with grey drupes, stiff spines, meet organic standards are allowed in and deciduous leaves clustered below the production of organic food the spines. It has a broad range of (http://www.omri.org). The difference applications in the indigenous medical in nutritional value of organic foods system (Huda et al., 2002). C. nilotica 84 still grows as a wild plant in different amo-ngst consumers that such methods areas in western Sudan states. No result in foods of higher nutritional research data on its commercial produ- quality (Williams, 2002). The present ction and its oil composition are review care about producing organic available (Mariod et al., 2010). Mariod food from A. squamosa and C. nilotica et al., (2010) extracted C. nilotica oil fruits and seeds using two different methods. They A. squamosa and C. nilotica as an reported very high oil content (40.0%) organic food source with linoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic The increase in demand and consu- as the major fatty acids, and high mption of organc (also known as amount of tocopherol (110.5 mg/100g ecological or biological) foods has oil). mainly been due to an increasing Annona squamosa L., Annonaceae, is a number of consumers associating well known tree in Sudan where locally significant environmental, biodiversity, known as Ghishta and widely cultivated ethical (e.g. animal welfare, local, and and distributed in western states fair trade) and food quality and safety (Korofan and Darfour). The fruit is benefits with organic foods and/or food commonly known as custard apple it is a production systems. Future increases in native of West Indies, it is widely grown demand will therefore rely on main- throughout the tropics in India and taining and/or improving consumer popularly cultivated in the north eastern confidence in the benefits of parts of Thailand, mainly for its edible organic foods (Cooper et al., 2007). fruit. Its seed is well known for killing Edible organic oils from A. head lice but has no report about the squamosa and C. nilotica active component (Intaranongpai et al., Fats and oils are recognized as 2006). The plant, deciduous and small; essential nutrients in both human and reaching a maximum of 6 m in height animal diets. Nutritionally, they are with many lateral branches, grows well concentrated sources of energy (9 in regions of medium humidity. Its seeds cal/g); provide essential fatty acids comprise 30% of its fruits weight, which which are the building blocks for the is edible (Cardeiro et al., 2005). The hormones needed to regulate bodily major fatty acids of A. squamosa oil are systems; and are a carrier for the oil oleic, linoleic, palmitic, and stearic. The soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. They tocopherol content of A. squamosa oil is also enhance the foods by providing 16.6 mg/100g oil, with delta-tocopherol texture and mouth feel, imparting as the predominant tocopherol (Mariod flavor, and contributing to the feeling et al., 2010). A. squamosa seed oil was of satiety after eating (Strayer et al., reported to be used in soap and 2006). plasticizer industry as well as in alkyd Mariod et al. (2010) studied the manufacturing, the seeds are acrid and proximate analysis of A. squamosa and poisonous. Bark, leaves and seeds C. nilotica seed kernels (Table 1): It is contain the alkaloid anonaine (Morton, clear from their results that the two 1987). samples show higher levels in protein Consumer concern regarding possible and oil content. The oil content of adverse health effects of foods prod- Catunaregam nilotica seed kernel using uced using intensive farming methods cold and Soxhlet extraction methods has led to considerable interest in the was significantly (p<0.05) higher (40, health benefits of organically-produced 41.2%) than that of A. squamosa (26.8, crops and animal products. There 27.5%). The difference in oil content appears to be wides-pread perception between cold extraction, and Soxhlet 85 85 extraction method was not significant wer, sesame and groundnut oils the A. and can be attributed to the fact that squamosa and C. nilotica oils showed during Soxhlet extraction high temp- lower values for specific gravity, refra- erature employed in solvent evapo- cttive index and saponification values. ration may have resulted in sample Fatty acid composition of oils produced heating which will allow oil droplets to from A. squamosa and C. nilotica come out of the sample easier. The oil Mariod et al. (2010) reported the fatty content of C. nilotica kernels was acid composition of A. squamosa and higher than most Sudanese C. nilotica oils (table 3). The major fatty conventional oilseeds (cottonseed, acid in the two plants were palmitic sunflower and groundnut), while that (16:0), stearic (18:0), oleic (18:1n-9), of A. squamosa was lower than and linoleic (18:2n-6) acids. The oils cottonseed, sunflower, sesame and were significantly (P≤0.05) different in groundnut (Mariod et al., 2009). These their fatty acid composition. The results indicated clearly that the seeds extraction method did not affect the from these two trees constitute a pote- fatty acid composition of the two ntial source of organic edible oils and plants. In A. squamosa oils, C18:1 was fats. Therefore, from an economical the most dominant fatty acid; it was point of view, the production of 49.2 and 50.5% in ASSE and ASCE, organic oil from such seeds could be of respectively, linoleic acid (C18:2) was interest. the second most dominant fatty acid Physicochemical properties of oils was 22.3 and 22.7% in ASSE and produced from A. squamosa and C. ASCE, respectively. In C. nilotica oils, nilotica C18:2 was the most dominant fatty The organic oils obtained from Catun- acid; it was 63.1 and 63.4% in CNCE aregam nilotica and Annona squamosa and CNSE, respectively, followed by kernels were odourless, of good colour, oleic acid which was found to be 10.5 and of good appearance. The physic- and 10.4% in CNCE and CNSE, ochemical properties of these oils were respectively. Palmitic (C16:0) and represented in table 2. The two oils stearic (C18:0) acids exhibited the were significantly different (P≤0.05) third and fourth highest fatty acid concerning the physcio-chemical prop- contents in the four oils, palmitic acid erties as A. squamosa oil showed was 15.6 and 15.2% in ASSE and higher values in refractive index, acid ASCE, respectively and 9.7 and 9.8%, value, peroxide value, saponification in CNCE and CNSE, respectively. value and specific gravity, respect- While stearic acid was 10.6 and 9.3% tively, than C. nilotica oil. From table in ASSE and ASCE, respectively, and 2 A. squamosa oil saponification value 5.1 and 5.4%, in CNCE and CNSE, which gives an indication of the nature respectively.