Nutrients and Anti Nutrients Composition of Two Varieties of Sorrel (Hibiscus sabdariffa) Leaves and their Seeds

Objective: To determine the nutrients and anti nutrients composition of sorrel leaves and seeds from red and yellow calyx plants. Materials and methods: Fresh leaves and dry seeds of the two varieties were cleaned and milled. Standard assay techniques were used to evaluate the two varieties of the leaves and seeds for nutrients and anti nutrients composition. Results: Both varieties of the leaves contained appreciable quantities of â-carotene (340.01 – 365.86 RE), fair levels of iron (6.34 – 8.56mg), ascorbic acid (10.84 – 11.90mg), phosphorus (23.03 – 23.64mg) and calcium (24.31 – 62.10mg) with traces of tannins, phytates and cyanide. The leaves from red calyx plant had higher (

Evaluation Of The Nutrient And Organoleptic Properties Of Pulverized Baobab Leaf (Adansonia digitata L.) Soup

The study examined the nutrient composition, viscosity and acceptability of pulverized baobab leaf soup among graduate students from University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Pulverized baobab leaves and ogbono seed flour were analyzed chemically and used to prepare separate soups. The ogbono seed flour soup served as the control. The soups were organoleptically and chemically evaluated using standard methods. The pulverized baobab leaves and its soup contained more (

Nutrient and Phytochemical Composition of Some Leafy Vegetables with Medicinal Significance

Objective: To determine the nutrient and phytochemical composition of Vernoniaamygdalina, Ocimumgratissimum, Gnetumafricanum and Gongronemalatifolium leaves. Materials and Methods: Fresh leaves of Vernoniaamygdalina (bitter leaf), Ocimumgratissimum (scent leaf), Gnetumafricanum (okazi leaf) and Gongronemalatifolium (utazi leaf) were separately cleaned and pulverized using GallenKamp mixer kenwood. Standard assay techniques were used to evaluate the fresh leaves for nutrients and phytochemicals composition. Means and standard deviation of triplicate determinations were calculated for all samples. Results: The leaves contain appreciable quantities of fiber (5.16-15.86%), β-carotene (6,666.67-21,833.33RE), ascorbate (18.64-40.09mg), potassium (97.03-325.90mg), phosphorus (99.36-409.75mg) and calcium (234.30-279.71mg). The phytochemicals present in the leaves include flavonoids (0.04-0.19%), alkaloids (0.27-1.78%), phytosterols (0.08-0.29%), terpenoids (0.02-0.38%) and glycosides ((0.02-0.07%). Vernoniaamygdalina had high levels of β-carotene (21,833.33RE), ascorbate (40.09mg), potassium (325.90mg), phosphorus (409.75mg), iron (3.65mg), calcium (279.71mg) and most of the phytochemicals relative to the other leaves. Conclusion: The vegetables contain significant quantities of β-carotene, ascorbate, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, flavonoids, alkaloids and phytosterols, which have health promoting benefits. Further work is underway in our laboratory to standardize portion sizes from the vegetables for dietary management of diet related diseases. Keywords: Nutrients, Phytochemicals, Vernoniaamygdalina, Ocimumgratissimum, Gnetumafricanum, Gongronemalatifoliu

Effect of Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) Fruit Pulp Drink on Iron Status of School Children

Objective: To determine the effect of consuming baobab fruit pulp drink with the diet on iron status of school children. Materials and Methods: Baobab fruit pulp was scrapped from the seeds and mixed with water in the ratio of 1:2 (w/v) to produce a refreshing drink. One hundred and forty two school children 6-8 yrs involved in the school meal programme in Enugu State, Nigeria were used for the study. The subjects were dewormed and divided into two equal groups of 71 children each. One group served as the control and the other as the test group. The haemoglobin (Hb) levels of the groups were comparable. The test group was fed 250ml of baobab fruit pulp drink (BFPD) which provided 60mg ascorbate after a meal based on cereal/legume/vegetable for 6 weeks. The control group was fed only the meal for the same period. The Hb and the serum ferritin of both groups were estimated before and after the intervention period. Result: There were significant (p<0.05) increases in the mean Hb (10.85 to 12.92g/dl) and mean serum ferritin (11.25 to 19.52μgl-1) concentrations of the subjects in the test group at the end of the study. No significant (p<0.05) changes occurred in the mean Hb (10.86 vs 11.01g/dl) and mean serum ferritin (11.56 vs 11.60 μgl-1) concentrations of the subjects in the control group after the intervention. Conclusion: Baobab fruit pulp significantly (p<0.05) improved the Hb and serum ferritin concentrations of the children. The fruit pulp is locally available particularly in the northern part of Nigeria and could be incorporated into many traditional dishes to diversify diet and improve bioavailability of iron.Key words: Baobab fruit pulp, drink, haemoglobin, serum ferritin, school children