Browsing by Author "Akello, Sarah"

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    Nutritionally essential macro and micro mineral contents of aframomum angustifolium and physalis peruviana wild edible fruits of Bunyoro-Kitara Kingdom, Uganda
    (East African Nature and Science Organization, 2026-05-21) Agea, Jacob Godfrey; Akello, Sarah
    Eating wild fruits can be really good for you and me, and not just because they taste great. Two types of wild fruits, Aframomum angustifolium and Physalis peruviana, were studied to see how many important minerals they have. These minerals, like calcium (Ca), potassium (K), Magnesium (Mg), Phosphorus (P), Manganese (Mn), Copper (Cu), Zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe), are essential for our bodies to work properly. We used special machines to measure how much of each mineral was in the 15 samples of each fruit. K and Na were determined using the flame emission photometer; P was quantified spectrophotometrically, while Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, Cu, and Zn were assessed by atomic absorption spectrometry. The findings were compared to the amounts found in common mangoes. It turned out that these wild fruits are actually better sources of many minerals than mangoes. They have more phosphorus, sodium and magnesium, which are all important for our health. One of the wild fruits, Aframomum angustifolium, had more calcium and potassium than the other, Physalis peruviana. Both of them had a lot of iron and zinc, which are crucial for preventing diseases like anaemia. Physalis peruviana was especially rich in manganese, another important mineral. The good news is that eating these wild fruits regularly can help people get the minerals they need. This is especially important for people living in rural areas who might not have access to a variety of foods. The government and local leaders should think about how to make it easier for people to grow and eat these wild fruits. They could create policies to support the use of wild fruits in farming and gardening. This way, more people can benefit from the nutritional value of these amazing fruits. By making wild fruits a bigger part of our diets, we can stay healthier and stronger.