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This study quantified the fatty acid profile and total chlorogenic acid content of various Ethiopian cultivars of the Plectranthus edulis tuber, traditionally known as 'Agew Dinich'. Lipid extraction utilized the Folch method and the acid-catalyzed derivatization method to derivatize the fatty acids into fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) were used. Whereas maceration was used to extract chlorogenic acid from the fresh and freeze- dried tuber samples. Analysis revealed a total of thirteen fatty acids in all P. edulis samples, with nine classified as saturated and four as unsaturated. Palmitic acid was the most abundant fatty acid in P. edulis and accounted for 40.57%–50.21% of the total fatty acid content. The second and third most abundant fatty acids in the P. edulis sample were stearic and linoleic acids, which accounted for 8.38%–12.92% and 8.12%–11.28%, respectively. We reported chlorogenic acid for the first time in this potato species and found it to contain a concentration of 211± 4.2–300±24.7 mg/100g of dry weight basis when the determination was made using fresh samples. On the other hand, these samples yielded a chlorogenic acid concentration ranging from 115 ±8.6 mg/100g-175±3.9 mg/100g of freeze-dried powder samples. These findings suggest that P. edulis tubers could represent a significant dietary source of both chlorogenic acid and fatty acids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teff [Eragrostis tef (Zuccagni) Trotter] is an indigenous crop in Ethiopia, and Amhara region is the predominant teff producing region in the country. This study was aimed at developing an analytical methodology useful to determine the geographical origin of teff produced in the Amhara Region, based on multielement analysis combined with multivariate statistical techniques. For this, a total of 72 teff grain samples were collected from three zones (West Gojjam, East Gojjam, and Awi) and analysed for K, Na, Mg, Ca, Mn, Cu, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Cr, and Cd contents using inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES). The digestion and ICP-OES analysis method were accurate, with percentage recovery ranging 85.5 to 109% across the different metals analysed. Principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA) were applied to discriminate samples based on their production regions. Magnesium, Ca, Fe, Mn, and Zn were the most discriminating elements among the samples. The LDA model provided 96% correct classification of samples into production regions and varietal types, with an average prediction ability of 92%. Hence, the multielement analysis combined with statistical modeling can be used in the authentication of the geographical origin and varietal type of teff from Amhara region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The knowledge of the levels of polyphenols present in green coffee beans from different geographical origins is important to identify beans that can provide better coffee quality. The aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of both soluble and cell wall-bound polyphenols in green coffee beans (Coffea arbica L.) from different cultivation regions of Ethiopia. A total of 100 samples were collected from four geographical regions (East, West, South, Northwest) and comprised eight commercial types of coffee (Harar, Jimma, Kaffa, Wollega, Sidama, Yirgacheffe, Finoteselam and Benishangul). The total concentrations of soluble and cell wall-bound polyphenols and flavonoids in the sample extracts were determined using the Folin-Ciocalteu and aluminum chloride reagent methods, respectively. Qualitative analysis was also performed by using high performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). Results revealed that chlorogenic acids as the predominant constituents of the phenolic fraction of the green coffee beans. The total soluble polyphenol, cell wall-bound polyphenol and flavonoid contents of the green coffee beans were in the range of 21.8–43.6 milligrams of gallic acid equivalents per gram (mg GAE g−1), 8.6–15.3 mg GAE g−1 and 3.3–6.2 milligrams of (+)-catechin equivalents per gram (mg CE g−1) of dry mass, respectively. Cell wall-bound polyphenols were found to contribute significantly (21.0–32.5%) to the total polyphenol contents (TPC) of the green coffee beans. The polyphenol contents of green coffee beans have been found to vary with geographical origins. Harar coffee contained significantly (p < 0.05) lower amounts of both total soluble and cell wall-bound polyphenols than the other regional coffee types. Furthermore, the contribution of cell wall-bound phenolic to the TPC should not be overlooked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]