Proximate and physicochemical composition of oil palm empty fruit bunch

Abstract

Agro-waste management generates worries to most developing countries and the menace needs to be curbed to reduce pollution. This study investigated the Proximate and Physicochemical composition of Oil Palm Empty fruit bunch. Samples collected were oven dried, grinded and analytical methods were carried out adopting AOAC 2005 (Association of official Analytical Chemists) test methods. The proximate analysis of the EFB revealed it to be a poor source of lipid (3.75 ± 0.01) but with a high fibre content (67.0 ± 1.19). The results showed concentrations of ash (6.87 ± 0.11), carbohydrate (12.3 ± 0.95), moisture (5.13 ± 0.24) and protein (4.87 ± 0.01). The physicochemical characteristics of oil palm empty fruit bunch is reported that pH had mean of 5.81±0.22, while temperature, total suspended solid, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solid, salinity, nitrate and sulphate had mean of 28.14 ± 0.02, 5.09 ± 0.02, 53.15 ± 0.03, 26.61 ± 0.015, 19.97±0.03, 14.65 ± 0.05, and 4.94 ± 0.02 respectively. More so, phosphate had mean of 17.55 ± 0.04, while ammonia, dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, magnesium and calcium had mean of 0.04 ± 0.01, 2.86 ± 0.01, 1.58 ± 0.02, 2.55 ± 0.02, 1.05 ± 0.01 and 3.77 ± 0.01 respectively. The Proximate and Physicochemical composition of the Oil Palm Empty Fruit Bunch in this study demonstrates the efficiency of utilizing and application of this byproduct in various processes to help combat waste management issues in the environment.