Potentials of ripe Carica papaya seed meal using different processing methods as alternative feed ingredients in monogastric animal nutrition

Abstract

Phytomedicinal plants include various types of plants used in place of antibiotics or other synthetic
drugs in order to reduce the residual effects of drugs on man hence the clamour for organic livestock.
Carica papaya is one of such plants that are underutilized as the seeds of the fruits waste on a yearly
basis especially in Africa as the focus of many consumers are on ripe fruits of Carica papaya. Ripe
fruits of Carica papaya were obtained from Ilishan-Remo environs in Ogun State, Nigeria and the
seeds were carefully removed and processed by sun-drying and oven drying. The data were subjected
to t-test. The phytochemical analyses, proximate composition, vitamin and mineral concentrations
were determined using standard procedures. The proximate composition of sun-dried and oven-dried
seeds of ripe Carica papaya were significantly different (p<0.05) while the oven-dried samples had
significantly higher (p<0.05) crude fat, ash and crude fibre. The phytochemicals were significantly
different (p<0.05) from each other such that the values are saponin (8.14mg/100g and 5.54mg/100g),
alkaloid (7.18mg/100g and 5.00mg/100g), hydrogen cyanide (0.64mg/100g and 0.26mg/100g), tannin
(52.92mg/100g and 66.50mg/100g) for the sun-dried and oven-dried seed samples of Carica papaya.
The sun dried and oven-dried seeds of Carica papaya fruits contained essential minerals which are
significantly different (p<0.05) from each other. The sun-dried samples however had significantly
higher (p<0.05) vitamins A, B1 and B6. The nutrient composition of Carica papaya seed meal revealed
that it contains some bioactive components which can serve as feed supplements in animal production
and improve human health