Research Journal of Recent Sciences ______ ______________________________ ______ ____ ___ ISSN 2277 - 2502 Vol. 1( 5 ), 66 - 68 , May (201 2 ) Res.J. Recent Sci. International Science Congress Association 66 Short Communication The Ash and Calcium C ontent of C ommon Fruit G rown i n L atur District , M S , India Motegaonkar Manorama B. 1 and Salunke Shridar D. 2 1 Azad college Ausa , MS , INDIA 2 Rajarshi Shahu College Latur , MS , INDIA Available online at: www.isca.in (Received 1 3 th February 2012 , revised 20 th March 2012 , accepted 22 th March 2012 ) Abstract The total ash and calcium content of common fruits grown seasonally in latur district was determined by dry ash and EDTA titration method. The results of analysis of fruit V itits V inifera (Grapes) show 0.297 % ash and 18.25 mg / 100g of calcium. The analys is data of S yzgium camini (Jambul)show 0.488% ash and 14.99 mg / 100g of calcium. The ash content of both frait vitis Vinifera chrapes and syzgium camini (Jambul) are found to be same as that of literature values. The calcium content of V itis V inifera (Gra pes) is found to be slightly lower and that of S yzgium C amini (Jambul) is found to be nearly same as compared to that of literature values. Key words : Vitis V inifera ( g rapes), S yzgium C amini (Jambul), calcium and a sh content. I ntroduction The fruit is important to keep the human being alive and also to provide energy for carrying out various activities and keep oneself healthy. There are many references to fruit in ancient literature, it is believed that fruit from the base of food of gods and are the heavenly gift given to human because of their magic properties. The fruit have good medicinal effect. Some melo husks contained appreciable amounts of carbohydrate, protein and minerals, and could be useful as feed supplement for poultry 1 . Our body needs all nutrients in pr oper proportional by weight for maintaining good health but a single fruit cannot provide the entire nutrient in required proportions by weight for the proper growth. Therefore, the only alternative is to select a variety of fruit in our diet that can provide all the nutrients in proper proportion by weight 1 . A human being requires more than 45 different nutrients for its wellbeing. Botanically, fruits are reproductive organ. A fruit is a mature ovary of a flower. The fleshy portion of the pericarp makes up t he chief edible portion of the fruit. A fruit is the edible fleshy seed bearing part of plant or tree. Fruits are favored by all due to their attractive appearance, appearing flavor and pleasing odor. Apart from their nutritive value they are also apprecia ted for their appetizing effect and helps in bone development 2 . The fruit are source of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, organic acid and other constituents such as cellulose, woody fiber, gums, tannins, coloring matter and volatile oil 3 . And having an tioxidant activity 4 . The fruits are poor sources of protons and fats. The fruit of their low sodium level act as salt free diet. 5 Intake of fruit and its juice by a person particularly in dehydrated sick condition cause the hydration of person with an added advantage of supplying sugar and mineral at same time a nd having important perspect on environment 6 . Fruit are rich in water content amounting to 75 - 95% of the total weight. Fruit are sweet in taste. The sweetness of fruit is mainly due to sugar. Fruit contain large quantities of starch, an ripening, the starch is converted into fructose and glucose which are mainly responsible for sweetness of fruits. Fruit also contain fair amount of organic acid. The type of acids present in fruit differs from fruit t o fruit. The principal acids present in fruits are citric acid, maleic acid and tartaric acid. The character is ti cs flavor of fruits is due to the presence of organic acid. Except grapes which contain tartaric acid, all other fruit contain citric and maleic acid. The acid content of fruit varies with type of fruit. Fruits have alkaline reaction with our body. 8 Fruits also contain enzymes. In ripe fruits carotenoid pigments are present in different forms which contribute to the pleasing color of fruits. The r ed, purple and blue shades of fruits are due to the presence anthocyanine pigments 9 . Taking significance of fruit in our diet and as a matter of scientific found worthwhile to determining the chemical composition with reference to the total calciu m of few common fruit grown in L atur district 10 . Material and Methods Determination of Ash C ontent : 170 g of V itis V inifera ( g rapes) and 125 g of S yzgium C amini (Jambul) weighed accurately in clean silica dish were first heated over a low Research Journal of Recent Sciences ______ ______ _ _ _______________________________ ______________ __ ISSN 22 77 - 2502 Vol. 1(5), 66 - 68 , May (201 2 ) Res.J. Recent Sci. International Science Congress Association 67 bursen burner flame to volatilize larger part of organic matter and then transferred to a temperature controlled muffne furnace maintained at 300 0 C. The dry ash is confirmed till carbon in it has ceased to glow and then the temperature was raised to 450 0 C . And t he ignition was continued for 5 to 7 hours. The ash residue so obtained was then cooled indesiccators and weighed from the weight of ash residue. The percentage of ash was calculated by the formula given below. Percentage of Ash in fruit sample = ( ) ( ) X 100 (%) De termination of calcium content: 170g of V itis V inifera (Grapes) and 125g of S yzgium C amini (Jambul ) were accurately weighed in a silica dish and after dry ash were 0.5 to 1gm of ash residue transferred to a clean beaker. After covering beaker with watch glass the ash residue moistened with little distilled water. The beaker was covered with watch glass and added 40 to 50 ml of dilate HCl with the help of pipette and content were further heated for 30 minutes at low flame after adding 10ml of hydrochloric acid to dehydrate silica and thon little water was added to dissolve soluble salts fil tered in hot c ondition through W hatmann filter paper No. 41 and then washing were collecting along with filtrate into 100ml standard flask. The silica residue was rejected and filtrate along with washing collected in the 100 ml standard flask was then diluted up to mark of 100ml using distilled water and solution made homogeneous. A 25ml aliquot of above solution of each fruit was transferred to a small beaker heated to boil and 5 to 1 gm solid Ammonium chloride was added and heating few minutes. Then to hot solution 1: 1 ammonia was added slowly with constant stirring so as to precipitate Fe+ 3 and Al+ 3 ions as hydroxide. The hydroxide was digested 5 to 10 minute over a low flame and filtered the calcium oxalate monohydrate filtered through a W hatmann filter paper 41 precipitate was then washed with cold distilled water for 3 to 4 times cold distilled water till free chloride ions. 11 The precipitate along with the filter paper was transferred to beaker and then calcium oxalate monohydrate precipitate ( C a C 2 O 4 , H 2 O ) was dissolved in minimum volume of D il H 2 SO 4 and transferred to clean dry conical flask. The solution was neutralized by adding 8 Msolution of potassium hydroxide (Tested by PH paper) Around 25 ml of distilled water 4ml of 8 M potassium hydr oxide solution were added and allowed to stand for 3 to 5 minutes with occasional stirring them 30mg of hydroxyl ammonium chloride added and 50 mg of slide Patton and readers indicator was then and calcium ion in the solution was titrated against 0.01N EDT A till the color changes from red to blue. The volume of EDTA consumed was recorded. Results and D iscussion The chemical characterization data for mineral content in fruits grapes and jambul grown in latur district and used for present investigation are p resented in table - 1. The analytical data reveals that the mineral content in the fruit mentioned above was observed in the range (0.297 - 0.488%). The fruit syzgium camini (Jambul) found to contain highest percentage of ash and vitis vinifera ( g rapes) exihi bed lowest level of mineral content. The calcium content in fruits of latur district were determined by complexometric titrimetry using EDTA ( e thylene d iamine t etra a cetic acid) as titrant. The calcium content of fruits vitis vinifera ( g rapes) and syzgium Camini (Jambul) under study are given in table - 1. The range of calcium in the fruit grown in latur district was found to be (14.99 - 18.25 mg / 100 gm). The highest calcium content in fruit vitis vinifera (Grapes) and the syzgicamini (Jambul) were found to contain low calcium. Out of the two common fruit considered for investigation the ash percentage of V itis V inifera is found to be 0.297% while Table - 1 Analytical data for ash and calcium content of common fruits Table - 2 Chemical analysis data for Calcium (Ca) content in fruit Research Journal of Recent Sciences ______ ______ _ _ _______________________________ ______________ __ ISSN 22 77 - 2502 Vol. 1(5), 66 - 68 , May (201 2 ) Res.J. Recent Sci. International Science Congress Association 68 that of S yzgium C amini (Jambul) is found to be 0.488 %. The C alcium C ontent of V itis V inifera (Grapes) and S yzgium C amini (Jambul) is observed as 18.25 and 14.99 mg /100 respectively. Between the the two fruit ash and calcium contains is compared in following figure. Conclusion On the basis of results of analysis of fruits V itis V inifera (Grapes) and S yzgium C amini (Jambul) for their ash and iron contents it is revealed that, the ash percentage of both fruits V itis V inifera ( g rapes) and S yzgium C amini (Jambul) is same as that of their corresponding literature values while the calcuilm con tent of V its V inifera ( g rapes) is slightly lower 18.25 (20.0) and that S yzgium camini (Jambul) is nearly same 14.99 (15.0) mg /100gm that of their corresponding literature values shown in paranthesis. From the above discussion it may be concluded that the fruit syzgium camini (Jambul) grown in latur district found to contain rich ash and the vitis vinifera (Grapes) grown in latur district were found to contain rich calcium content may be recommended as best curative fruit for respective mineral deficiency diseases. Acknowledgement We wish to thank Prof. Dr. Dipak Sharma for critically reading the manuscript and making several pertinent remarks. References 1. Ogbe A.O., George G.A.L., Nutritional and Anti - nutrient Composition of Melon Husks: Potential as Feed Ingredient in Poultry Diet, Res.J.Chem.Sci., 2(2) , 35 - 39, (2012) 2. Ravi K., Sivagnanam K., Subramanian S., Anti - diabetic activity of Eugenia jambolana seed kernels on streptozotocin - induced diabetic rats . Journal of Medicinal Food., 7 , 187 – 191 (2004) 3. Karp H.J., Vaihia P., Karkkainen M.U., Niemisto M.J., Lamberg - Allardt, C.J., Acute effects of different phosphorus sources on calcium and bone metabolism in young women: a whole - foods approach , Calcif Tissue Int . , 80: 251 - 258 (2007) 4. Paul D.K., Shaha R.K., Nutrients, vitamins and mineral content in common citrus fruits in the northern region of Bangladesh, Pakistan. Journal of Biological Sciences, 7 , 238 – 242 (2004) 5. Ravi, K., Ramachandran B., Subramanian S., Effect of Eugenia jambolana seed kernel on antioxidant defense system in streptozotocin - induced diabetes in rats . Life Sciences , 75 , 2717 – 2731 (2004) 6. Buclin T . , Cosma M., Appenzeller M., Jacquet A.F., Decosterd L.A., Biollaz J., Burckhardt P., Diet acids and alkalis influence calcium retention in bone , Osteoporos Int . , 12 , 493 - 499 (2001) 7. Vidhya R. and Narain A., American - Eurasian J. Agric. & Environ. Sci ., 10 (1) , 112 - 118, ( 2011) 8. Noomrio, M.H., Dahot, M.U., Nutritive value of Eugenia jambosa fruit . Journal of Islamic Academy of Science.s , 9 , pp. 9 – 12( 1996) 9. Pepato M.T., Mori D.M, Baviera A.M., Harami J.B., Vendramini R.C., Brunetti I.L., Fruit of the jambolan tree ( Eugenia jambolana Lam.) and experimental diabetes . Journal of Ethnopharmacology., 9 6 , 43 – 48 (2005) 10. Fenton T.R., Eliasziw M., Lyon A.W., Tough S.C., Hanley D.A., Meta - analysis of the quantity of calcium excretion associated with the net acid excretion of the modern diet under the acid - ash diet hypothesis , Am J Clin Nutr . , 88: 1159 - 1166 (2008) 11. Motegaonkar M.B, Salunke S.D., calcium content of common fruits g rown in latur district calcium content of common fruits g rown in latur district , vision research review ., I (I) , (2011) 12. Borah S., Ananta M. Baruah Arup K. Das, Junmoni Borah, Food Anal. Methods 2 , 226 – 230 (2009)