Nutritional and mineral composition of selected green leafy vegetables

Green Leafy Vegetables (GLV) is essential for healthy life. The analysis of nutritional composition and some essential major elements such as calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium of the leaves of Cardiospermum halicacabum, Premna latifolia, Delonix elata, Argyreia pomacea, Mollugo pentaphylla and Pisonia grandis were carried out using standard methods. The results ranged as follows; moisture (62.86 ±2.55 - 77.80 ±3.27%), ash (7.33 ± 0.38 - 12.49 ±0.22 %), fat (2.18 ±0.09 - 4.75 ±0.22 %), fiber (7.88 ±0.61 - 15.30 ±0.59 %), protein (0.53 ±0.04 -3.52 ±0.06 %) and carbohydrate (0.89 ±0.09 - 5.65 ±0.11%). Vitamin C content was determined using a well-established 2, 4-dinitrophenyl hydrazine method (DNPH). Vitamin C content of GLVs ranged from 134.50 ±2.61 mg/100g for D. elata to 12.43 ±3.44 mg/100g for A. pomacea. Total phenolic content was in the range of 4.28 ±1.2mg GAE/100g for M. pentaphylla and 46.07 ±3.42 mg GAE/100g for D. elata. The mineral elements were ranged as follows: Sodium (116.4 ±3.8 - 190.2 ±2.6 mg/100g), potassium (94.5 ±2.9 - 127.3 ±2.4 mg/100g), calcium (84.9 ±2.2 - 272.6 ±2.8mg/100g) and magnesium (28.3 ±2.5 - 103.6 ±4.2 mg/100g). The results suggest that the green leafy vegetables contain considerable amount of essential micronutrients in addition to the presence of high amounts of vitamin C. The results also indicate that the high intake of GLVs could provide nutritional requirements necessary for the normal growth thus giving adequate protection against diseases arising from malnutrition.