Comparison of Key Mineral Elements in Wild Edible Fruits of Ziziphus Mauritiana and Z. Nummularia Using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS) and Flame Photometer

Abstract

Wild fruits, directly or in combination with other foodstuff, are used by many people living in the rural regions of tropical countries to address food and income insecurity. The composition of wild fruits needs to be analyzed and compared with the composition of other traditional fruits. In the present study, we investigated the nutritional status of fruits of two wild species (eight populations) of Ziziphus mauritiana (ZM) and Z. nummularia (ZN) from the different locations of Northwest India, which were denoted as ZM-1, ZM-3, ZM-11, ZN-4, ZN-5, ZN-10, ZN-13, and ZN-14 depending on species and location. ZM-3 emerged the highest moisture content while ZM-11 showed the highest ash content. ZN-14 presented the highest crude fiber and vitamin C contents. ZN-13 exhibited the highest crude fiber content. The concentration of potassium (2456.250 ± 36.044 mg/100 g), sodium (139.257 ± 2.575 mg/100 g), copper (6.733 ± 0.097 mg/100 g), and zinc (2.223 ± 0.085 mg/100 g) was found to be highest in Z. mauritiana, and the amount of calcium (428.350 ± 2.037 mg/100 g), magnesium (110.947 ± 1.086 mg/100 g), iron (9.657 ± 0.244 mg/100 g), manganese (2.623 ± 0.067 mg/100 g), and zinc (2.223 ± 0.085 mg/100 g) was highest in Z. nummularia. Results provide an indication of the nutritional value of the wild edible fruits of Ziziphus mauritiana and Z. nummularia from different populations and can be used to promote these wild fruits for domestication.