Proximate and Mineral Composition of Nigerian Leafy Vegetables

Proximate analysis and mineral composition of some Nigerian leafy vegetables: bitter leaf (Veronia amygdalina L), India spinach (Basella alba L), bush buck (Gongronema latifolium), scent leaf (Ocimium grastissimum), Smooth amaranth (Amaranthus hybridus), Roselle plant (Hibiscus sabdariffa) and fluted pumpkin (Telfaria occidentali) were carried out using standard analytical procedures. The moisture content of the samples ranged between 10.0-12.08 %, crude protein, crude fibre, crude fat, ash contents and carbohydrate ranged between: 46.56 and 66.60, 4.02 and 12.08, 3.51 and 14.02, 5.02 and 15.55, 1.16 and 15.79 % dry matter (DM). Mineral element analysis showed that the leafy vegetables contained high levels of calcium (63.36-110.16), magnesium (27.51-288.65), sodium (15.01-88.00) and potassium (16.85-168.96) and low levels of copper (nd-3.14), nickel (2.32-18.16) and manganese (2.54-10.06) mg/100g respectively. The study showed that the leafy vegetables examined contained high levels of crude protein with low fat content and crude fibres.