Proximate, nutraceutical composition and antimicrobial activities of Uvaria chamea (Udagu) seeds and oil

Abstract

The study investigated proximate, nutraceutical composition and Antimicrobial activities of Uvaria chamea (Udagu) seeds. Standard methods were used to analyze the plant seeds for the present of nutraceutical and proximate component of the plant Uvaria chamea (Udagu) seeds. While disk diffusion method was employed to assay the the potent of the seed oil as an antimicrobial agent. Result of the proximate revealed that Uvaria chamea (Udagu) seeds contains ash (10.19 %), moisture (5.2 %), crude protein (0.09 %), crude fiber (51.81 %), total fat (26.19 %) and carbohydrate (6.52 %). While nutraceutical study showed that Uvaria chamea (Udagu) seeds contains cardiac glycosides (0.046 %), tannins (0.2 %), saponins (0.01 %) and alkaloids (0.45 %).The proximate result implies that the plant contains essential component such as crude fiber, total fat and ash in significant quantities, and can be utilized as food and in treating several ailments. The presences of alkaloids, tannins, Cardiac glycoside, and saponins in the plant seed indicate it can be used as a medicinal source. The oil presented no antimicrobial and antibiotic activities against Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhi. The results suggest that Uvaria chamae seed have a potential role as a new source of health-promoting diets (can be used as a dietary fiber supplement in obesity management) with high oxidative stability. And the oil is a fixed oil that could be an acceptable substitute for cooking vegetable oil that do not have antimicrobial/antibiotic activities. Keywords: Proximate; nutraceutical; fiber; alkaloids; tannins