Phytochemical and Proximate Analysis of Wild Fruits and Vegetables from the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
Keywords:
Phytochemical Analysis, Proximate Analysis, Wild Fruits, Wild Vegetables, Nutritional CompositionAbstract
Over the ages, fruits and vegetables have always been an important part of both human and animal diets. Fruits and plants in general have several medicinal and therapeutic uses in addition to being a source of food to satisfy dietary needs. Little to no attention has been paid to the nutritional value of the many fruits and leafy vegetables that are growing unchecked in the Six Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). Documenting the nutritional value of these wild fruits and vegetables would be helpful in the food-based strategy to eliminate micronutrient deficiencies. Therefore, the study's objective is to assess the ethnomedical applications, phytochemical components, and proximate analysis of lesser-known wild fruits and vegetables that are consumed in the FCT, Abuja. The result revealed that in wild vegetables, seven parameters were examined. While Physalis angulata had the lowest dry matter (50.28%) and carbohydrate (3.23%), Portulaca oleracea had the highest dry matter (95.27%) and carbohydrate (73.32%). Vitex doniana had the lowest protein (1.01%), while Cyathea postiato had the greatest crude protein (9.24%), fat (7.03%), and fibre (46.70%). Ash concentration was highest in Celosia isertii (16.67%), moisture content was highest in Solanum dulcamara (15.55%), and lowest in Portulaca oleracea (4.73%). Phytochemical screening of 17 wild vegetables revealed varying presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, glycosides, phenols, saponins, steroids, tannins, and terpenoids, with some compounds absent in specific vegetables. In conclusion, vegetables that are high in protein, fibre, and carbohydrates are valuable for food security. They also have phytochemical components that may be used therapeutically to treat microbial infections, inflammation, and oxidative stress.
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