Chemical composition of seeds and oil of Xylopia aethiopica grown in Nigeria.

The chemical composition and mineral constituents of Xylopia aethiopica, which is valued as a spice in Nigeria, were determined along with the physicochemical characteristics of the seed oil. The seeds had the following chemical compositions moisture (8.43 g/100 g), ash (5.89 g/100 g), crude lipid (9.58 g/100 g), crude protein (12.45 g/100 g) crude fiber (8.66 g/100 g) and carbohydrate (63.65 g/100 g). Calcium and potassium were the major minerals in the seed. The extracted lipid was examined for fatty acid composition. Linoleic (45.1 g/100 g) and oleic (26.5 g/100 g) acids were the predominant unsaturated fatty acids, while palmitic acid (18.0 g/100 g) was the major saturated acid. The iodine value of 97 g/100 g indicates that the seed oil is a non-drying type.