Determination of the Content of Polyphenols, Flavonoids, Tannins, Mineral Elements and Antioxidant Activity of Almonds Obtained from Cashew Nuts (Anacardium occidentale, Anacardiaceae) from Center Côte d'ivoire

Aims: Anacardium occidentale from the Anacardiaceae family, is a plant whose almonds have been widely consumed in Côte d'Ivoire in recent years. In addition, almonds are a matrix containing approximately 22-24% fat; which gives it great interest in terms of valorizing its nutritional properties.

Study Design: This is how the nuts were harvested at the beginning of 2023 in Sessenouan, a village in Bouaké, in central Côte d'Ivoire. Cashew nuts were obtained from ripe fruits of the Anacardium occientale. After recovering the almonds, they were dried and then well preserved for the various analyses; which analyses were carried out at the Chemistry laboratory of the Felix Houphouët-Boigny Polytechnic Institute in Yamoussoukro, a city located 95 kilometers from Bouaké.

Place and Duration of Studies: After the harvest in April 2023 and the recovery of the almonds, the analyses were carried out from June to September 2023.

Methodology: The quantification of total polyphenols, total flavonoids, condensed tannins and mineral elements was done by classical dosage methods; As for the antioxidant activity of the almond extract, it was evaluated with respect to DPPH using vitamin C as a control.

Results: This study showed that the almonds of Anacardium occidentale (Anacardiaceae) from central Côte d'Ivoire contain appreciable levels of total polyphenols (21000 ± 1,330 µg EAG/g), total flavonoids (36000 ± 2,660 µg EQ/g), condensed tannins (19.813 ± 0.02 µg EAT/g) and minerals: K (458.61 ± 1.01 mg/100g), Mg (300.72 ± 0.57 mg/100g), P (142.51 ± 0.15 mg/100g), Ca (31.73 ± 0.32 mg/100g).

Conclusion: The analysis of these results indicates that the almonds of Anacardium occidentale from Côte d’Ivoire are a source of micronutrients and can therefore be used in both herbal medicine and human nutrition in our developing countries. Future work will focus on the chemical and physical properties of the fat extracted from the almonds.