Oyebade, B.A, Ekeke, B.A.and Adeyemo, F.C.
The physical characterization and proximate analysis of Chrysophyllum albidum were investigated in Port Harcourt, south-south Nigeria. Three major markets in Rivers State, Nigeria were visited for C. albidum fruits’ collection from fruits lots of the same tree sold in tied fruit baskets. Ninety fruits of the same lots were collected and morphologically characterized into fruit types. The fruits morphological parameters of various sizes of C. albidum fruits were significantly different at P< 0.05. The relationship among fruit parameters and fruit types showed different association using regression analyses. The seed width and number of seed per fruit showed significant relationship with the fruit type (seed width R2=0.3959 and number of seed R2 =0.8223). Each identified fruit type was also analyzed in the laboratory for proximate and nutrient composition. Nine fruit types were identified based on the ripe fruit size, colour and taste which varied from very sweet to sour. The result of the proximate analysis indicated that all the fruit types contained Carbohydrate (11%), Crude fibre (4%), Lipids (3%), Protein (7%), Calcium (20ppm), Iron (<1ppm), Phosphorus (13ppm), Vitamin C (27ppb), A(12ppb), B1 and B2 (<1ppb).
