International Journal of the Physical Sciences Vol. 6(36), pp. 8079 - 8082, 30 December, 2011 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/IJPS DOI: 10.5897/IJPS09.024 ISSN 1992 - 1950 ©2011 Academic Journals Full Length Research Paper Proximate chemical analysis of nutritive contents of Jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana) seeds Yerima, B. I. 1 * and Adamu, H. M. 2 1 Department of Chemistry, Gombe State University, P.M.B.127, Gombe, Gombe State. Nigeria. 2 Department of Chemistry, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, P.M.B. 0248, Bauchi. Bauchi State. Nigeria. Accepted 28 April, 2011 This study provided estimate of nutrient content of Ziziphus mauritiana, a lesser known tropical legume plant. Chemical analysis of the seeds collected from Bojude in Kwami local government area in Gombe State and Hanani in Bauchi local government area, Bauchi State in Nigeria, showed that, the crude protein, moisture, ash, crude fibre, lipids and carbohydrates were 36.10 ± 57, 4.21 ± 0.030, 2.79 ± 0.27, 11.04 ± 0.88, 27.40 ± 0.11 and 21.26 ± 0.63 mg per 100 g of the samples, respectively. The most important minerals were potassium, sodium and phosphorus with 589.08 ± 10.89, 154.79 ± 10.50 and 585.43 ± 412 mg/100 g of the samples, respectively. The seeds could be used as protein and mineral supplement for low protein legumes such as cereals. It was recommended that further protein and oil analysis of these seeds be made so as to ascertain anti-nutritive factors in the protein and fatty acids types available in the seeds. Key words: Ziziphus mauritiana (Jujube), seeds, food nutrients. INTRODUCTION Food can be scientifically defined as that substance which is necessary to support growth, maintain body functions, repair or replace tissues and provides energy for living organism (Kristosikova and Wher, 1994). The nutrient content of any type of food is of importance for appropriate diet intake for man and animals. Nutrition begins at the beginning of mankind on this earth and many references to food and nutrition exist in man’s earliest writings. Early man had to see the fact for himself, largely by trial and error, as he chose his food from available plants and from plentiful supply of animal life all around him. It was not until the development of modern science in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries that there began to be an appreciation of the essential nature of certain nutrients. Among the first nutrients to be recognized as essential were proteins, oxygen, calcium, iodine and scurvy preventing factor (later identified as vitamin C), most of these milestone were in the years of 1775 to 1825 (Doris and George, 1979). *Corresponding author. E-mail: yerimabi@yahoo.com. Data from United Nation Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), gave note of warning to countries in the world, especially Africa and Caribbean countries that, they should increase food production so that the increased populace nutritive needs would be adequately catered for (Alfred and Patrick, 1985). In spite of such needs, less explored plants like Jujube (Ziziphus mauritiana) plants needs to be explored to ascertain the best nutritive contents for the general benefits of the entire developing countries in the world. The determination of nutritive contents of less explored food would go a long way to supplement quality and quantifiable balanced food to Nigeria and Africa at large. The food needs of people from developing countries are not different from those of the developed world. Z. mauritiana or Jujube plant (English) or magarya (Hausa) is commonly found in northern Nigeria (Huwale, 1985). The species are native of tropical Africa and the leaves from the plant provide a good source of forage for domestic and wild animals (Mathur et al., 1993). Humans are also known to eat the fruit. Each large Z. mauritiana produces more than 5000 fruits per year (Schirarend, 1991). The fruit from Z. mauritiana is globe-shaped with a shiny brown skin that cannot be easily separated from