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Beverages from Native Palms (Arecaceae) of West Africa: Diversity, Knowledges, Uses, and Processes

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Natural Products in Beverages

Part of the book series: Reference Series in Phytochemistry ((RSP))

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Abstract

Palms are important plants for West African communities, both at the ecological and socio-economical point of view. Several studies conducted on this family have identified 28 native species in West Africa. Among these species, 6 are exploited for their sap or palm wine: Borassus akeassii, Borassus aethiopum, Elaeis guinensis, Phoenix reclinata, Raphia hookeri, and Raphia sudanica. There are many palm wine tapping methods, which can be categorized in two: sustainable and unsustainable methods. Another beverage from palms discovered in West Africa is the porridge made from the pulp of the fruits of Borassus aethiopum. All these beverages (palm wine and porridge) play important socio-cultural and economic roles in several communities. Indeed, palm wine is used as a drink but also for medicine and rituals. Studies conducted on the chemical contents showed that these beverages have nutritional value. Indeed, nutrients such as vitamin C, K, P, Mg, and different sugars were identified. The choice of species for palm wine tapping is guided by several factors: availability, taste, season, and quantity of the wine produced. Therefore, Phoenix reclinata is less and less exploited. Also, in the presence of Elaeis guineensis, some communities prefer to abandon the exploitation of Borassus spp., which requires climbing. This operation is dangerous because of the risk of falling.

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Acknowlegments

The authors thank the communities for their collaboration during field work and ethnobotanical studies in Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, and Bénin. The field missions were possible thanks to the financial support of the “Fondation Audemars Piguet pour la Forêt.” We are grateful to the “LMI (Laboratoire Mixte International) Ecologie et Développement Durable” for the support in the frame of the surveys in the scientific reserve of Lamto and its surroundings in Côte d’Ivoire.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UFR Sciences de la Nature, Université NANGUI ABROGOUA (UNA), Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

    Noufou Doudjo Ouattara, Akoua Clémentine Yao, Djah François Malan, Adama Bakayoko, Mamidou Witabouna Koné, Kouakou Hilaire Tanoh & Fezan Honora Tra Bi

  2. Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifiques en Côte d’Ivoire (CSRS), Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

    Noufou Doudjo Ouattara, Akoua Clémentine Yao, Adama Bakayoko & Mamidou Witabouna Koné

  3. Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève (CJBG), Geneva, Switzerland

    Walter Fred Stauffer

  4. Laboratoire d’Ecologie et Développement Durable (LEDD), Université NANGUI ABROGOUA, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire

    Noufou Doudjo Ouattara, Djah François Malan & Adama Bakayoko

Authors
  1. Noufou Doudjo Ouattara
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  2. Akoua Clémentine Yao
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  3. Walter Fred Stauffer
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  7. Kouakou Hilaire Tanoh
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  8. Fezan Honora Tra Bi
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Correspondence to Noufou Doudjo Ouattara .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France

    Jean-Michel Mérillon

  2. UMRt BioEcoAgro, University of Lille, Lille, France

    Céline Riviere

  3. UMRt BioEcoAgro, University of Lille, Lille, France

    Gabriel Lefèvre

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Ouattara, N.D. et al. (2023). Beverages from Native Palms (Arecaceae) of West Africa: Diversity, Knowledges, Uses, and Processes. In: Mérillon, JM., Riviere, C., Lefèvre, G. (eds) Natural Products in Beverages. Reference Series in Phytochemistry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-04195-2_216-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-04195-2_216-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-04195-2

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