Ogunlaja Olumuyiwa O O, Moodley Roshila, Baijnath Himansu, Jonnalagadda Sreekantha B
a School of Chemistry and Physics, University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa.
b School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal , Durban , South Africa.
J Environ Sci Health B. 2017 Feb;52(2):84-91. doi: 10.1080/03601234.2016.1239974. Epub 2016 Oct 24.
Ficussur (Moraceae) is an indigenous medicinal plant with a wide distribution in Africa. In this study, the nutritional potential fruit of this indigenous plant to meet domestic food demands and reduce food insecurity in KwaZulu-Natal. South Africa, was investigated. The proximate composition and concentrations of metals in the edible fruits collected from eight different sites in KwaZulu-Natal were determined to assess for nutritional value and the concentrations of metals in the growth soil was determined to evaluate the impact of soil quality on elemental uptake. The fruits contained high levels of moisture (88.8%) and carbohydrates (65.6%). The concentrations of elements in the fruits were found to be in decreasing order of Ca>Mg >Fe >Zn>Cu >Mn> Se with low levels of toxic metals (As, Cd, Co and Pb). This study shows that the consumption of the fruits of F. sur can contribute positively to the nutritional needs of rural communities in South Africa for most essential nutrients without posing the risk of adverse health effects.
无花果属（桑科）是一种在非洲广泛分布的本土药用植物。在本研究中，对这种本土植物的果实满足南非夸祖鲁 - 纳塔尔省国内粮食需求并减少粮食不安全状况的营养潜力进行了调查。测定了从夸祖鲁 - 纳塔尔省八个不同地点采集的可食用果实的近似成分和金属浓度，以评估其营养价值，并测定了生长土壤中的金属浓度，以评估土壤质量对元素吸收的影响。果实含有高水平的水分（88.8%）和碳水化合物（65.6%）。发现果实中元素的浓度按Ca>Mg>Fe>Zn>Cu>Mn>Se的顺序递减，有毒金属（As、Cd、Co和Pb）含量较低。这项研究表明，食用无花果属果实可以对南非农村社区对大多数必需营养素的营养需求做出积极贡献，而不会带来健康不良影响的风险。
