Characterization of Nutritional and Phytochemical Compositions of Locally Consumed Leafy Vegetables from Afikpo, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Abstract

Vegetables are an important part of human and animal diets worldwide. This is because veggies contain crucial protective nutrients for good health and illness prevention. Many vegetables, on the other hand, have yet to be described to determine their nutritional value. We used standard analytical methods to analyze the nutritional and phytochemical contents of four traditional leafy vegetables (P. soyansii, P. santalinoides, V. doniana, and C. esculenta) consumed in the South-East (Ebonyi), Nigeria. Data were analyzed using Graph Pad Prism 7.0 set at p<0.05 statistically significant level. We presented results in graphs accordingly. The maximum magnesium content was found in Vitex doniana while the lowest was found in P. santalinoides. Calcium concentration was highest in Colocasia esculenta and lowest in P. soyansii. Zinc was high in V. doniana but was not significant (p<0.05) in P. santalinoides. Vitamin C was the most abundant in C. esculenta, followed by vitamin B1. V. doniana has greater amounts of vitamins B3 and E than other veggies. A considerable number of bioactive compounds were found in the leaves of P. soyansii, P. santalinoides, V. doniana, and C. esculenta. The alkaloid content of P. soyansii was the greatest, while that of P. santalinoides was the lowest. C. esculenta has a high saponin content, while P. soyoansii has a low saponin content. In addition, tannins and phenol are both abundant in C. esculenta, but not phenol. Therefore, we reported that these vegetables have a significant dietary role in human nutrition, particularly in the prevention of malnutrition illnesses by micronutrients and bioactive supplementation.