Nutritional Profile of Moringa stenopetala Species Samples Collected from Different Places in Ethiopia

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of the study was to collect Moringa stenopetala (M. stenopetala) samples from 19 locations all over Ethiopia to generate a national data on its nutritional profile Methods: Fresh green Moringa stenopetala (M. stenopetala) leaf samples obtained from farming area in different provinces in Ethiopia were dried and physicochemical analysis was carried out employing AOAC methods of analysis. Results: The samples collected had a mean value of 8.09%, 28.44%, 0.7%, 11.62%, 12.63%, 38.49%, 274Kcal of moisture, protein, fat, crude fiber, ash, carbohydrate and energy respectively. Moreover, the samples had a mean value of 54.85 mg/100gm, 1,918 mg/100gm, 2.16 mg/100gm, 0.78 mg/100gm, 38.19 mg/100gm, 2,094 mg/100gm and 214.10 mg/100gm of Fe, Ca, Zn, Cu, P, K and Na respectively.  The mean value of the anti-nutritional factors analyzed – phytate and tannin – was 378.44 mg/100gm and 358.89 mg/100gm, respectively. There has been a statistically significant difference in the mean values of all nutrition composition parameters between study regions– Tigray, Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR and Dire Dawa – except for tannin content of the samples. Conclusions: These finding reveals that M. stenopetala species of Moringa tree in Ethiopia has appreciable nutritional profile which can be of a great input to fight the long overdue malnutrition problem in Ethiopia.