The Mineral Composition and Proximate Analysis of T. occidentalis (Fluted Pumpkin) Leaves Consumed in Kano Metropolis, Northern Nigeria
Abdussamad Mukhtar Mohd
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science, Jodhpur National University, India
Mustapha Balarabe Idris *
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science, Jodhpur National University, India
Abdulfaatir Abdulrasheed
Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Applied Science, Jodhpur National University, India
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The work is aim at the determination of the proximate and mineral composition of T. occidentalis leaves consumed in the Kano metropolis. The leaves used in this study were obtained from Sabon Gari market in Kano metropolis, Nigeria. The standard methods of food analysis were used for the proximate analysis, while the method of wet digestion was used for mineral composition. The results of the study revealed that T. occidentalis leaves contain high amount of crude protein and carbohydrate, while fat content in the present study was very low. Likewise, the chemical composition shows that the leaves is rich in Na, Mg, Ca, K, Cu and Zn. Hence, the T. occidentalis leaves could be good sources of nutrients in diets for consumption.
Keywords: Leafy vegetables, nutritive element, proximate analysis, T. occidentalis