Nutraceutical and Health Benefits of Two Underutilized Leafy Vegetables (Pterocarpus santalinoides and Napoleona imperialis)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritional and health implication of Pterocarpus santalinoides (Uturukpa) and Napoleona imperialis (Mkpodu) leaves. The vegetables were harvested from the forest in Udi Local Government area in Enugu State and identified at Department of Agronomy, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Enugu, Nigeria. The vegetables were trimmed and washed with deionized water and drained. The vegetables were ground using hammer mill into paste separately and coded as sample A (Pterocarpus santalinoides) and sample B (Napoleona imperialis). Both samples were analyzed in the laboratory for proximate, vitamins, minerals, anti-nutrients and phytochemicals. The results were analyzed statistically using mean and standard deviation. The result showed that the proximate composition (on wet wt. basis) of sample A and B were protein 1.06 and 5.27%, fat 0.98 and 0.71%, fibre 0.90 and 1.01%, ash 2.73 and 1.27% and carbohydrate 30.63 and 23.54% respectively. The vitamin constituents were beta carotene 360.00 and 360.00 µg/100 g, vitamin C 5.20 and 7.13 mg/100 g and vitamin E 2.80 and 1.45 mg/100 g for sample A and B respectively. The result of the minerals were iron 3.49 and 1.40 mg/100 g, zinc 0.92 and 2.10 mg/100 g, calcium 36.00 and 25.60 mg/100 g, magnesium 20.01 and 25.20 mg/100 g and potassium 11.27 and 70.92 mg/100 g for sample A and B respectively. The result of the pyhtochemicals revealed that both leaves contained an appreciable amount of phytochemicals which are component of herbs use for ethnomedicine. The anti-nutrients in sample A and B were cyanide 0.48 and 0.94%, oxalate 1.08 and 3.87% and phytate 0.25 and 6.01% respectively. The high protein, fibre and mineral content of Napoleona imperialis is of interest, hence these lesser known vegetables are recommended due to its high nutritional content and health benefit.