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Acacia nilotica seeds obtained from pods of Acacia Nilotica

Acacia nilotica seeds obtained from pods

narrowly and regularly constricted between the seeds

Freshness intact with hygienic packaging

Seeds with pods

Acacia nilotica seeds purchased from local markets in Minna, Nigeria were analyzed for chemical
composition, anti-nutrient contents and amino acid profile. The seed flour contained 6.67% moisture
content, 2.80% ash, 23.33% crude fat, 6.53% crude fibre, 30.95% crude protein and 29.72%
carbohydrate. The calorific value of the flour was 452.65 Kcal/100g. The saponins, tannins, flavonoids,
alkaloids, oxalates and cyanogenic glycosides contents were 2.40, 0.11, 6.20, 8.70 and 0.22% as well as
0.23 mg/100g. The bulk density, pH, emulsification capacity, gelation capacity, absorption capacity, oil
absorption capacity, foam stability, wettability and viscosity were 0.62 g/cm 3 , 5.30, 32.22 cm 3 , 2.15
%, 2.30 g, 1.06 g, 1.08 sec, 21.25 sec and 6.00 mPa.sec, respectively. This seeds flour was good sources
of essential minerals such as K, Mg, Ca, P and Na with the most abundant of these being potassium
(1168±62.36 mg/100g). The amino acids profile of the seed showed that essential amino acids such as
arginine, leucine and phenylalanine were 11.22, 6.23 and 4.7 g/100g, respectively. The results of this
study, suggest that the seeds of Acacia nilotica seed has the potential of being exploited as a source of
oil and protein for food formulations.

The proximate analysis showed that moisture content was 12.6±0.02%, crude
fibre11.1±0.03%, crude lipid15.8±0.01%, ash content5.0±0.01%, crude
protein1.3±0.02% and carbohydrate54.2±0.02%. The elemental analysis
showed various concentrations of Ca, Zn, Mg, Mn, Ni, Cr, Fe, Cd while Co
was absent.The phytochemical investigation revealed the presence of tannins,
steroids, saponins, phenols, alkaloids, cardenolides, terpenoids,
carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides, resins and balsams.The antifungal
analysis of ethanol extract on Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavon, Fusarium
oxyfurumand PenicilliumSpp showed an increase in the zone of inhibition and
an increase in the concentration of the A.niloticafruit extractswhen measured
in mm. Conclusion: Acacia nilotica has both nutritional and medicinal values
based on the presence of numerous secondary metabolites and essential
metals. The plant studied here can be seen as a potential source of useful
drugs and further studies are going on in order to isolate, identify, characterize
and elucidate the structure of the bioactive compounds
=Fossil record==

An ''Acacia''-like 14 cm long [[fossil]] [[seed pod]] has been described from the [[Eocene]] of the
[[Paris Basin]].<ref>Fossil Plants by Paul Kenrick & Paul Davis, Natural History Muyseum, London, 2004,
{{ISBN|0-565-09176-X}}</ref> ''Acacia'' like [[fossil]] pods under the name ''Leguminocarpon'' are known
from late [[Oligocene]] [[deposits]] at different sites in [[Hungary]]. Seed pod [[fossils]] of †''Acacia
parschlugiana'' and †''Acacia cyclosperma'' are known from [[Tertiary]] deposits in
[[Switzerland]],.<ref>Distribution of Legumes in the Tertiary of Hungary by L. Hably, Advances in Legume
Systematics: Part 4, The Fossil Record, Ed. P.S. Herendeen & Dilcher, 1992, The Royal Botanic Gardens,
Kew, {{ISBN|0947643400}}</ref> †''Acacia colchica'' has been described from the [[Miocene]] of West
[[Georgia (country)|Georgia]]. [[Pliocene]] fossil [[pollen]] of an ''Acacia'' sp. has been described from
West [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]] and [[Abkhazia]].<ref>Leguminosae species from the territory of
[[Abkhazia]] by Alexandra K. Shakryl, Advances in Legume Systematics: Part 4, The Fossil Record, Ed. P.S.
Herendeen & Dilcher, 1992, [[The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew]], {{ISBN|0947643400}}</ref>

Oldest records of [[fossil]] ''Acacia'' [[pollen]] in [[Australia]] are from the late [[Oligocene epoch]], 25
million years ago.<ref>The Greening of [[Gondwana]] by [[Mary E. White]], [[Reed Books]] Pty Ltd,
Australia, Reprinted issue 1988, {{ISBN|0730101541}}</ref>

they store well for long periods due to the hard seed coats. [27] In addition to utilizing the edible seed and
gum