Evaluation of the Proximate and Mineral Content of Fresh Leaves of Commonly Consumed Vegetables in Rivers State

Abstract

The study was aimed at conducting a proximate and mineral analysis on five commonly consumed vegetables in River State which includes; uziza (Piper guineense), hospital too far (Jatropha tanjorensis), oha (Pterocarpus soyauxii), utazi (Gongronema latifolium) and bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina). The fresh leaves were separately and thoroughly washed with deionized water and pulverize in a mortar. The proximate analysis involved determining the moisture content, ash content, crude fibre and protein content of the plant samples, while the mineral analysis focused on the identification and quantification of essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, manganese, zinc, potassium, and iron. The results for proximate analysis showed that Moisture content ranged from 80.0% in Hospital Too Far to 87.6% in Uziza, indicating high water content across all samples. Ash content, indicative of mineral presence, was highest in Hospital Too Far (4.53%) and lowest in Uziza (1.23%). Crude fiber content varied, with Bitter Leaf recording the highest value (3.83%) and Oha the lowest (1.38%). For Mineral analysis, Oha exhibited the highest concentrations of Fe (65.169 mg/kg), Zn (16.054 mg/kg), and K (24.069 mg/kg), while Utazi and Hospital Too Far had the highest Mn concentrations (51.132 mg/kg). Calcium levels were highest in Bitter Leaf (9.468 mg/kg), and Oha also led in magnesium (30.732 mg/kg). The results of this study showed that the presence of an optimal level of nutrients in the plant at right proportions could be beneficial to the human body. Further studies are recommended to explore the bioactive compounds responsible for their reported therapeutic effects.