Characterization of Yield and Physico-Chemical Parameters of Selected Wild Indigenous Fruits in Rwanda

A study was carried out to assess the physico-chemical characteristics of wild fruits: Myrianthus holstii and Garcinia buchananii, consumed by rural communities in Rwanda. Although the species have been prioritized for domestication in the country, very little information has been documented on their yield potential, morphological traits, and nutritional compositions. Data were collected from nine fruiting trees for each species in the Bugesera and Nyamagabe districts. All fruits per tree were counted and 10 fruits were harvested for characterization. The proximate composition, vitamins, and minerals were analyzed using Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) methods. Analyses of inferential statistics were performed to detect differences in means among the fruits from different populations. The highest yield (279 kg/tree) for M. holstii was recorded in the Musebeya population while the highest (15.12 kg/tree) for G. buchananii was recorded in the Juru populations. The quantities of vitamins A and C in M. holstii fruits ranged from 0.92 mg/100 g to 0.93 mg/100 g and from 19.22 mg/100 g to 19.94 mg/100 g, respectively. The quantities of vitamins A and C in G. buchananii fruits ranged from 0.56 mg/100 g to 0.95 mg/100 g and 33.82 mg/100 g to 34.84 mg/100 g, respectively. The most abundant mineral element recorded in this study was iron (15.95 mg/100 g) found in the M. holstii species and contributing 159.5% of the recommended daily allowance. The results obtained in this work suggest the potential value of G. buchananii and M. holstii for the development of novel products in the food industry. The findings also offer opportunities for tree selection to support their domestication and to reduce pressure on the remaining population in the wild.