COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF NUTRIENTS AND PHYTOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF MATURED AND YOUNG LEAVES OF Manihot esculenta, Arachis hypogeal, AND Parkia biglobosa

Abstract

The nutritive and phytochemical constituents of three plant leaves were investigated. The plants include:
Matured Manihot esculenta, six weeks old Manihot esculenta, matured Arachis hypogeal, two weeks old Arachis
hypogeal, matured Parkia biglobosa and two weeks old Parkia biglobosa. The nutrients and phytochemicals
determined quantitatively were: soluble protein, soluble sugar, total protein, nitric oxide radical scavenging
activity, saponin, alkaloid, and tannin. The results of the quantitative analysis of these plants show that all
the vegetable plant leaves contained all the parameters analyzed in varying proportion. For the quantitative
analysis, matured M. esculenta had the highest amount of total protein (36.69% FW) and saponin (0.21g/g FW),
six weeks old M. esculenta had the highest amount of total soluble protein (0.26g/g FW), total soluble sugar
(0.12g/g FW) and nitric oxide radical scavenging activity (2.25% FW), matured P. biglobosa had the highest
amount of alkaloid (0.04g/100g FW). Two weeks old A. hypogeal, matured A. hypogeal and matured P. biglobosa
had same amount of soluble protein (0.18g/g FW), matured M. esculenta, two weeks old A. hypogeal and two
weeks old P. biglobosa had same amount of alkaloid (0.02g/100g FW), matured M. esculenta, two weeks old A.
hypogeal and two weeks old P. biglobosa had same amount of tannin (0.04g/g FW) and matured A. hypogeal and
matured P. biglobosa had same amount of tannin (0.05g/g FW). The significance of these results showed that
there are lots of phytochemicals and nutrients present in M. esculenta, A. hypogeal and P. biglobosa leaves which
can be utilized as potential vegetables in traditional Nigeria soups.