LAUSR

This research was to investigate the chemical composition, antioxidant activity, and microbial profiles of Cola lepidota fruits. One hundred grams each of the fruit exocarp, mesocarp and endocarp were blended and analyses were carried out by the following standard methods. Active acidity and vitamin C contents were 5.5 and 6.34 mg 100 g–1 in endocarp, 4.5 and 14.39 mg 100 g–1 in mesocarp and 6.7 and 10.02 mg 100 g–1 for exocarp. Moisture and carbohydrate contents of 12.31 and 68.72% were in the mesocarp while protein and crude fibre contents of 8.13 and 26.18% were in the exocarp and endocarp. Iron (Fe), zinc (Zn) and manganese (Mn) contents were 1.79, 0.27 and 0.57 mg 100 g–1 in exocarp while lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd) and chromium (Cr) were absent in the endocarp. Predominant isolates were Aspergillus niger, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Aspergillus flavus, Bacillus, Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas species. C. lepidota had no antimicrobial effect against the tested organisms. Tannins, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenols, coumarins and anthocyanins were present while alkaloids, quinolones, glycosides, steroids and cardiac glycosides were absent. The fruit was observed to have antioxidant property by hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity. This study presents C. lepidota as good for human consumption and can be exploited for animal feed production.