Nicolas Cyrille Ayessou

Saba senegalensis : Key Features and Uses

Native of West Africa, Saba senegalensis belongs to the family of Apocynaceae, and is a wild plant that is mainly exploited in the diet. It grows mainly along riverbanks, in wooded savannah areas in humid areas, in gallery forests and in rocky ravines and hills. Saba senegalensis is a large woody liana with white latex, dark gray bark, can reach more than 40 m high and a trunk that can measure up to 47 cm in diameter. The fruit is a globose shell, 7 to 10 cm long, 6 to 8 cm wide. The leaves are opposite, elliptical, dark green in color, about 8 to 15 cm long and 4 to 6 cm wide. This fruit is characterized by its richness in antioxidant molecules especially vitamin C (480 mg/100 g) and total polyphenols (945.83 mg/100 g). The fruit contents 41.43 until 80% water with a low pH (2.24). In Senegal, the fruit is eaten as it or transformed into puree, nectar, syrup, canned etc. It is a plant that has enormous therapeutic virtues, from the fruit to the roots through the leaves, bark, and latex. Despite its high nutritional potential, its many therapeutic virtues and its economic potential, Saba senegalensis remains under-exploited. Further researches on the nutritional and therapeutic properties deserve to be conducted.

Nutritional composition of Meristotheca senegalense (Rhodophyta): A new nutrient source

Macroalgae are used in diverse global regions. Meristotheca senegalense J. Feldmann, a macroalga species found in a Senegalese bay, was the subject of this study focusing on the chemical and mineral composition. The present study was done in order to evaluate the potential of this macroalgal resource for biomass development and contribution to the economy in Senegal. The results of this study showed that M. senegalense J. Feldmann was relatively a good source of nutrients including fiber (6.67 ± 0.7%) and protein (6.37 ± 0.8%). Mineral analysis also showed significant concentrations of magnesium (216.87 ±12.9 mg/100 g), calcium (81.6 ± 17.5 mg/100 g), iodine (31.16 ± 1.5 mg/kg) and iron (28.13 ± 2.15 mg/100 g). However, zinc and copper 3.31 ± 0.26 and 2.43 ± 0.13 mg/100 g respectively were found at relatively low concentrations. Interestingly, the vitamin B12 content was significant with a content of 20 ± 1.0 mg/kg, potentially allowing for the use of the alga as a supplemental. The nutrient concentrations reported for M. senegalense J. Feldmann suggests that its cultivation and harvest can be a source of diversification in the activities of fishermen. In terms of food consumption, the results also showed that the red alga used in this study can be added to human diets as supplementation and might also be F Key words: Meristotheca senegalense, nutrient composition, macroalgae, supplementation, food diversification.