The red aqueous beverages of Carapa procera (D.C.) leaf extracts were investigated for their polyphenol contents using HPLC-DAD, HPLC-ESI-MS, and semipreparative HPLC. Polyphenols were extracted, clarified, and concentrated using a multistep process including ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), cross-flow microfiltration (CFM), and reverse osmosis (RO). On the basis of analytical and semipreparative chromatographic techniques, 12 phenolic compounds were identified and quantified for the first time: 2 anthocyanins (cyanidin 3-O-glucoside and cyanidin 3-O-rutinoside), 5 phenolic acids (protocatechuic, the three caffeoylquinic isomers, and coumaroylquinic acid), and 5 flavonols (quercetin 3-O-rutinoside, quercetin 3-O-galactoside, quercetin 3-O-glucoside, quercetin aglycone, and kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside). From the concentrated extract, it was possible to recover for anthocyanins (28.4 ± 0.3 µmol L−1 cyanidin equivalents) the two glycosides of cyanidin, for flavonols (1587 ± 3 µmol L−1 quercetin equivalents) the two glycosides of quercetin and kaempferol, and for phenolic acids (3650 ± 10 µmol L−1 gallic acid equivalents) chlorogenic and protocatechuic acids.
Infant malnutrition remains a major health problem in West Africa, particularly among children aged 6 months, the crucial period for dietary diversification. Faced with the predominance of imported industrial flours, which are often expensive, local populations are turning to traditional flours. To improve the nutritional quality of these flours, food fortification, recommended by bodies such as the FAO and the WFP, is commonly used. In this study, the mixture design method was used to formulate an affordable complementary flour, enriched in iron, zinc and vitamin C, from under-exploited local plant resources such as Anacardium occidentale kernel fragments and Parkia biglobosa pulp. An augmented centred mixing design with constraints was used to formulate, model and optimise the iron, zinc and vitamin C content of the infant supplement flour. Modelling of the iron content revealed a synergistically interacting cubic model with a desirability of 0.97, and an average iron content of 14.13 mg/100 g. Zinc content was estimated at 5.78 mg/100 g and modelled by a significant quadratic model. The vitamin C content was better represented by a linear model with a synergistic interaction, with a desirability of 0.97 and an average content of 117.6 mg/100 g, well above the standard of 30 mg/100 g. In conclusion, the optimisation has maximised the iron, zinc and vitamin C content of the formulation, offering an improved nutritional solution for combating infant malnutrition.