PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND NUTRITIONAL VALUES OF <i>Carissa Spinarum L</i>. /”AGAM” FRUIT
Zinabu Hailu Siyum, Tassew Alemayehu Meresa
Abstract
Carissa spinarum L. is one of the wild plants that gives a fruit and it consumed by the peoples who are lived in the study areas without any knowledge of its nutrients. Thus, this research work was designed to explore the physicochemical properties and nutritional values of the Carissa spinarum L. fruits which were collected from two different geographical sites of Korem-Ofla wereda mainly Delesa and Maidokorem. The samples used for the study were randomly selected from the described sites, respectively, and the analysis of its physicochemical and nutritional values of the fruit was carried out using standard official methods. The result showed that, while the minerals, fat, energy, and titratable acidity contents were significantly different (p < 0.05) among the fruits collected from the two different geographical zones, the remaining compositions were not significantly different (P > 0.05). In conclusion, the plantations in different geographical locations were significantly affected some of the physicochemical, nutritional, and sensory properties of the fruit. It is, however, recommended that the effect of the geographical location on some nutritional and physicochemical properties of the fruit was significant, it can also develop Carissa spinarum L. based value-added food products.