INVESTIGATION ON THE MEDICINAL AND NUTRITIONAL POTENTIALS OF SOME VEGETABLES CONSUMED IN EKITI STATE, NIGERIA (Published)
Nine medicinally important vegetables consumed in Ekiti State, Nigeria were analyzed to determine their proximate and phytochemical contents using standard analytical procedure. These vegetables are Corchorus. olitorious L., Cnidoscolus acontifolius Mill., Vernonia amygdalina L., Cucurbita pepo L., Ocimum gratissimum L., Senecio biafrae Olive & Heirn., Moringa oleifera L., Telfaria occidentalis Hook. F. and Hibiscus asper Hook. F.. The phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of reducing sugar in all the plant samples analyzed. Saponins and tannins were discovered in four of the plant samples. Seven of the nine plants have philobatannins and cardiac glycosides while alkaloids and steroids were detected in two samples. Anthroquinine was absent in all the vegetable plants. Quatitative phytochemical analysis further revealed reducing sugar, tannins, flavonoids, saponins alkanoids and phenols composition in different proportions, with values ranging from 141.88 mg/100g to 210.07 mg/100g, 44.05 mg/100g to 70.89 mg/100g, 11.71 mg/100g to 41.08 mg/100g, 0.76 mg/100g to 5.88 mg/100g, 163.77 mg/100g to 269.86 mg/100g, and 110.43 mg/100g to 116.68 mg/100g respectively. The percentage proximate values for moisture content, ash, crude fat, crude protein crude fibre and carbohydrate content in the leaves ranged from 50.20% to 88.30%, 7.67% to 10.17%, 1.53% to 4.99%, 13.70% to 24.90%, 10.10% to 21.81% and 40.99% to 53.04% respectively. The results of the study lend credence to the significance of the nine vegetables in the treatments and prevention of various ailments and diseases. Furthermore, high protein, fibre, carbohydrates and low fat contents justify their nutritional importance in human daily diet.
Keywords: Phytochemical, Proximate, Vegetables, medicinal plants