Assessment Of Selected Essential Micronutrients In Some Indigenous Fruits In Kakamega County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Fruits are a good source of micronutrients, yet they are less consumed. Kakamega County

has various types of fruits either planted or growing wildly. Most of the fruits consumed

are exotic such as avocadoes, mangoes, pawpaw, oranges, passion fruits and pineapples

while the wild and indigenous fruits are usually neglected, seen as weeds and food for

children and very poor rural people. In Kakamega County the indigenous fruits are well

distributed among the rural areas and members of the community lack awareness of the

nutritional importance of such fruits as Physalis peruviana L, Rhus vulgaris M, and

Psidium guajava L and therefore they do not consume well. This has caused some

members especially the poor to be nutritionally affected. These indigenous fruits are rich

in essential micronutrients such as vitamins and essential trace elements that help in

immune boasting, destruction of free radicals and general physical growth. The need to

promote such fruits requires that the levels of micronutrients present be known. Thus this

study assessed levels of some micronutrients such as trace elements (Zn, Fe, Mn, Cu, and

Cr) and vitamins {L-ascorbic acid (vitamin C), α-tocopherol (vitamin E), and β-carotene

(vitamin A)} in selected indigenous fruits in Kakamega County, Kenya. The vitamin

content was determined using HPLC and the elements analyzed using AAS. Data was

analyzed by one way ANOVA followed by SNK test where there was no significant

difference at p