The edible part (pulp) Tamarindus indica L (Tsamiya) is a leguminous tree that grows wild in the tropics (De Wit 1966;Duke and Weber 1981). It thrives well in the north of Nigeria, where the fruit is popular. The pulp is widely used for foods and beverages, and the seeds are sometimes used as a soup seasoner.In Nigeria, as in other developing countries, fruits and vegetables constitute the major available food item after cereals and tubers. Information on the chemical composition of Tamarindus indica (Tsamiya) pulp and seed grown in Nigeria is lacking, and we therefore sought to provide such data as a basis for their utilisation.The tamarind fruits, from the local market, were separated into epicarp, pulp and seed and each was then dried and ground into powder. All analyses were by standard methods (AOAC 1980). The mineral composition was determined on the ash using an EEL type flame photometer for Na and K, using a method of Allen (1 974) for phosphorus and a Pye-Unicam atomic absorption spectrophotometer for the other elements. Phytic acid was determined by the method of Allen (1974) and trypsin inhibitor activity by the method of Roy and Rao (1971).

The dependence of Nigerian Government on foreign technology for oil spill cleanup in its water bodies does not add local content value in the development of the Nation's economy. Acetylation of natural cellulose gives a material with high sorption capacity for oil in water. This research investigates crude oil sorption from water using acetylated and unacetylated lignocellulose. Oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) and cocoa pod (CP) were acetylated under mild conditions. The acetylated (modified) and unacetylated (unmodified) sorbents were used to sorb oil from water, and their sorption capacities and mechanisms were compared. Paired t test showed there was significant difference in the sorption capacities of modified and unmodified sorbents. Sorption of oil from water was found to be time and concentration dependent. Equilibrium studies showed that CP has higher sorption capacity than OPEFB and acetylation enhanced the crude sorption capacities of the sorbents. Crude oil sorption from water is a monolayer process that might have progressed from multilayer processes. Kinetic studies showed that sorption of crude oil by the sorbents was diffusion-controlled with the aid of physisorption and chemisorption mechanisms. Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron microscope analyses showed clear evidence of successful acetylation and oil sorption.

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