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Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management
World Bank assisted National Agricultural Research Project (NARP) - University of Port Harcourt
ISSN: 1119-8362
Vol. 12, Num. 1, 2008, pp. 39-41

Journal of Applied Science and Environmental Management, Vol. 12, No. 1, March, 2008, pp. 39-41

Proximate Analysis Of Castor Seeds And Cake

Annongu, A. Azor 1*; Joseph, J. K. 2

*! Division of Nutritional Biochemistry and Physiology, Department of Animal and Poultry Production, P. O. Box 10004, UNILORIN E-mail: azorann@Yahoo.com Tel: 08038472753. POST OFFICE, University of Ilorin, Nigeria, West Africa. 2Department of Food Science and Home Economics, Faculty of Agriculture, PMB 1515, University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Nigeria.

Code Number: ja08006

ABSTRACT

Castor seed obtained from Ilorin was evaluated analytically using its un-decorticated and decorticated full-fat and cake forms for chemical composition and nutritional constituents. Proximate analyses of un-decorticated and decorticated seeds and cake revealed that both the oil seed and cake contain valuable nutrients namely soluble carbohydrate: seed-7.96, cake-24.69, protein: seed-20.78, cake-31.06, fat: seed-51.20, cake-19.40, mineral matter: seed-7.75, cake-11.10 for undecorticated castor seeds and cake respectively. The decorticated seed cake gave higher values of these nutrients than the un-decorticated, for instance carbohydrate: seed-8.86, cake-24.88, nitrogen: seed-21.87, cake-35.43, ether extract: seed-55.50, cake-25.10, total ash: seed9.40, cake-7.14. Amino acid profile analysis of un-decorticated and decorticated seed and cake compared with soybeans as standard plant protein indicated that the cake is deficient in some indispensable amino acids like lysine (4.11), iso-leucine (3.09), tryptophan (0) compared with 6.30, 7.90 and 1.30 lysine, iso-leucine and tryptopha in soybeans respectively.Based on results of the analyses, it is observed that the seed and cake contain valuable nutrients especially when decorticated and may serve useful alternatives to food/feedstuffs if the castor seed is detoxified of the phytotoxins, ricin (a toxic protein), ricinine (a relatively harmless protein), hydrocyanides and allergens, the extremely potent toxins. @ JASEM

With the rising cost of conventional feedstuffs
resulting from increased competition between man
and farm animals for orthodox foodstuffs, novel
feedstuffs are becoming increasingly in use today
and research into their utilization are currently
gaining priority. In developing countries of the
world, Nigeria inclusive, wide variety of
ingredients have been tested and are being used in
feeding livestock either solely or in combination
with others in various feed formulation. Thus,
chemical evaluation and nutritional assessment of
un-decorticated and decorticated castor oil seeds is
being considered in the present work as a followup
to the quest for cheaper and available alternative
feedstuffs for livestock production. Chemical
evaluation of the seeds and cake of castor grown in
Nigeria could reveal the chemical compositions
that may be useful for feed materials and those that
could be improved upon or eliminated before use
since analyses of the castor seeds grown in other
regions of the world have been shown to contain
toxins.

Castor seeds and the cake (obtained after oil
extraction) are gotten from castor plant
scientifically known as Ricinus communis which
belongs to the family of Euphorbiaceae. It is
widely cultivated in the tropical, sub-tropical and
temperate countries while in Nigeria, it is grown in
the northern and middle belts where the weather is
favourable. The effort to use castor seed and cake,
if successful, may reduce the cost of feed
production and subsequently that of animal
production in general and may increase the
production of the livestock sector of agriculture.
The objective of this study therefore is to evaluate
analytically the proximate and/or chemical composition of castor seed and cake so that the
novel feedstuffs could be used as feed alternatives
in livestock nutrition.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Source and preparation of castor seeds for
analyses:
Castor seeds were obtained from a
commercial source in Ilorin, Kwara state of
Nigeria. The seed coats were removed to prepare
the decorticated samples while the other seeds were
analyzed un-decorticated. Both the decorticated
and un-decorticated seeds were ground into fine
meals using a blending machine. The cake was
prepared from the castor seeds by oil extraction
using the chemical hexane.

Chemical and nutritional analyses: The proximate analysis of the un-decorticated and decorticated full-fat seeds and the cake were carried out using the procedures described by AOAC [1]. Samples were analyzed for dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, ether extract and mineral matter (total ash). Gross energy of the samples was calculated from data obtained on proximate analysis employing the formula established by Carpenter and Clegg [2]. Amino acid profile analysis of the un-decorticated and decorticated castor seeds was determined using the amino acid analyzer, Sequential Multisample Analyzer Model DNA 0209 manufacture by Technical Ireland limted, Sword Company, Dublin, Ireland. Mineral analysis for macro- and micro-elements was determined using the flame photometer (Jenway, PFPT). Calcium and magnesium were analyzed using the atomic absorption emission spectrophotometer model 200A, while phosphorus was determined using the corning colorimeter model number 253.

Statistical analysis: Data collected on proximate composition were analyzed by simple descriptive statistics.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Tables 1 and 2 presents data on proximate composition of un-decorticated full-fat castor seed meal and cake, and decorticated seed meal and cake respectively. Un-decorticated seed cake contains higher values of dry organic matter, crude protein, fat, fibre, mineral matter, soluble carbohydrate except for the gross energy and crude fat contents which were higher on un-decorticated full-fat castor seed meal. Organic matter content (DM), crude fat, ash content and gross energy were higher on decorticated full-fat castor seed meal than those on decorticated seed cake while the reverse was the case with the crude protein, crude fibre and soluble carbohydrate. The proximate analysis of un-decorticated and decorticated full-fat castor seeds and cake showed that both contain high quantities of valuable nutrients, protein, nitrogen free extract, ether extract, crude fibre and high total ash content signifying the presence of high levels of macro- and micro-minerals. The presence of high nutrients suggests that castor seeds and cake may serve useful alternative feedstuffs for livestock if properly processed since previous works [3, 4, 5, 6, 7] showed that though castor seed contain high nutrients, it harbors toxic substances namely ricin, ricinine, hydrocyanide, allergens and other alkaloids. These toxicants have limited the use of castor seeds for feeding purposes for man or animals.

Tables 3 and 4 show the macro- and microminerals of un-decorticated full-fat castor seeds and cake, and the data on the macro- and microelements of decorticated full-fat castor seed meal and cake respectively. Un-decorticated castor seed cake contains higher values of both macro- and micro-minerals than un-decorticated full-fat castor seed meal. Decorticated castor seed cake contains higher values of phosphorus, calcium and potassium than the decorticated full-fat seed meal while the opposite was recorded for magnesium and sodium. The macro- and micro-mineral composition of un-decorticated and decorticated castor seed meal and its cake revealed that the nonconventional feedstuffs contain sufficient of these nutrients to meet the nutritional requirements of the fed animals if the anti-nutrients in the castor seeds that could inhibit the utilization or availability of the minerals are removed by adequate treatment of the castor seeds or the cake. The amino acid composition of un-decorticated and decorticated castor seed cake compared with that of soybeans as standard plant protein is shown in Table 5. Amino acid profile analysis of castor seed cake is shown to be similar to soybeans used as a reference standard for plant proteins. Both the un-decorticated and decorticated CSC amino acid profiles are closely related to soybeans. However, CSC is shown to be deficient in certain indispensable amino acids like iso-leucine, tryptophan, lysine. There is therefore a need to supplement the deficient amino acids in food or diets containing the treated CSC for optimum utilization by the fed animal.

Results on the proximate analysis, mineral composition and amino acid profile analysis of castor seeds and its cake in this study have demonstrated that the seeds and cake contain high nutrients with potentials to meet the nutritional requirements of farm animals if given proper treatments and supplementation with the deficient limiting amino acids. Research to obtain further methods of efficient processing and detoxification to enable full utilization of the castor seeds and cake as alternatives to conventional feedstuffs is being given consideration.

REFERENCES

  • A O A C (2000). Official Methods of Analysis. Association of Official Analytical Chemists. Washington, D. C.
  • Carpenter, K J; Clegg, K M. (1956). The metabolizable energy of feeding stuffs in relation to their chemical composition. J. Sc. Food and Agric. 45-48.
  • Lewis, W H; Elvin, M. P. F. (1977). In: Medical Botany: Plants Affecting Man’s Health. John Wiley and Sons Publishers, New York.
  • Gohl, B. (1981). In: Tropical Feeds. Feed Information Summaries and Nutritive values. F. A. O., Rome, 1981.
  • Weiss, E A. (1983). Oil Seed Crops, Tropical Agriculture Series, 1st edition, Longman, London.
  • Okorie, A U; Anugwa, F O I; Anamelechi, G C (1985). In: Heat treated castor oil seed (Ricinus communis): A potential livestock protein supplement in the tropics.
  • Devendra, C (1988). Non-traditional feed resources in Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok, Thailand.

Copyright 2008 - Journal of Applied Science and Environmental Management


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