Nutritional and ethno-medicinal potentials of egg-lime-molasses mixture in livestock production Akintunde A.O.1,*, Ndubuisi-Ogbonna L.C.1, Olorunfemi O.A.1, Ladele M.M.1, Shobo B.A.1, Adewole S.A.1, Akinboye O.E.1 1Department of Agriculture and Industrial Technology, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria *Corresponding Author: A.O. Akintunde, Department of Agriculture and Industrial Technology, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria, Email: adeyinka.akintunde@gmail.com
Online published on 1 November, 2023. Abstract Background The quest for organic agriculture has necessitated the search for natural products which are abundant in phytochemicals and have significant therapeutic effects. This study was carried out to investigate the nutritional and ethno-medicinal potentials of egg-lime-molasses mixture (ELM). Methods Fresh eggs were placed in a bowl after which 1 liter of lime juice and 500 g of molasses were added into the same bowl, then it was covered tightly and left for 10 days at temperature of 27°C and relative humidity of 61%. At the end of 10 days, the egg shells were dissolved into solution and then blended together. The mixture was then analyzed for proximate composition, phytochemicals, minerals and vitamins. The analyses were investigated in accordance with standard procedures. Result Proximate analysis of ELM indicated the presence of moisture content (19.60%), crude protein (15.20%), lipids (5.50%), ash (14.60%), crude fibre (9.60%), carbohydrates (35.20%), fatty acid (4.40%) and energy (1060.30 Kcal/100 kg). Phytochemical screening revealed that ELM contained alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, saponin, steroids, phenols, terpenoides, tannin and antraquinones. Quantitative evaluation of the phytochemicals showed that ELM contained alkaloids (8.46 mg/100 g), flavonoids (2.30 mg/100 g), glycosides (0.08 mg/100 g), Saponin (5.25 mg/100 g), steroids (0.22 mg/l00 g), phenols (0.09 mg/100 g), terpenoides (0.56 mg/100 g), tannin (8.34 mg/100 g) and antraquinones (1.60 mg/100 g) and the vitamin constituents are Vitamin A (3.20 mg/100 g), Vitamin B1(280 mg/100 g), Vitamin B2 (880 mg/100 g), Vitamin B3 (340 mg/100 g), Vitamin C (15.40 mg/100 g) and Vitamin E (0.015 mg/100 g). Mineral analysis showed that it contained calcium (29.95%), magnesium (4.08%), potassium (23.20%), sodium (0.38%), phosphorus (6.90%), chlorine (0.30%), manganese (1.44 ppm), iron (3.60 ppm), aluminum (5.35%), titanium (2.10 ppm) and silicon (22.70 ppm). It was concluded that ELM is rich in various nutrients and phytochemicals conferring it the ability to perform multiple biological activities and as a natural alternative to antibiotics especially in monogastric animal production. Top Keywords Antibiotics, Mineral, Phytochemicals, Proximate composition, Vitamins. Top |