Nutritional and Antinutritional Analysis of Chrysanthellum indicum Leaves

Abstract

Nutrients are required to drive the basic physiological activities that sustain life, and an imbalance in such nutrients which may be caused by either deficiencies or excess of one or more nutrient may lead to the initiation and/or exacerbation of virtually all diseases. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with healthy diet. Chrysanthedum indicum leaves is widely consumed as food in the North central part of Nigeria including Kaduna, Nassarawa and Plateau States and other neighbouring states. The proximate constituent of the air dried vegetable leaves were determined by various methods; the various anti-nutritional Factors such as phytic acid, oxalic acid, and tannin were also determined using different methods. The study on proximate composition showed that the vegetable Chrysanthellemindicum has high crude protein (24.63%) compared to those of other Conventional Nigerian vegetables: Curcubita pepo (20.80%) and Gnetum africana (19.67%). The vegetable has 23.16% crude fibres, and 2.76% crude fat. It also contains about 29.38% potasium, 29.96% calcium. It also contains oxalate, tannins and phytic acid as anti nutrients. The study showed that the leaves of Chrysanthellum indicum contain substantial levels of nutrient which could be useful in human diet, with considerably low levels of anti nutritional content which is below established toxic level.