Nutritional Qualities of Three Medicinal Plant Parts (Xylopia aethiopica, Blighia sapida and Parinari polyandra) commonly used by Pregnant Women in the Western Part ofNigeria
Abstract:
The nutritional potentials of three medicinal plant parts
used by pregnant women in the western part of Nigeria Parinari
polyandra, Blighia sapida and Xylopia aethiopica were
evaluated through their proximate compositions as well as percentage
mineral elements composition. Blighia sapida was high in crude
fibre (44.09±2.20%) compared with Parinari polyandra and Xylopia
aethiopica that were 4.21±1.10% and 12.14±0.70% respectively. Moisture
contents of Xylopia aethiopica and Blighia sapida were
16.04±1.25% and 10.17±2.60% respectively while that of Parinari
polyandra was 30.65±5.02%. The total ash contents of Parinari
polyandra, Blighia sapida and Xylopia aethiopica were
2.53±1.20%, 3.66±1.20% and 4.37±0.85% respectively. The total fat of
Xylopia aethiopica, Blighia sapida and Parinari
polyandra were 9.55±2.10%, 1.25±0.20% and 0.53±0.15% respectively
while the total protein of Blighia sapida, Xylopia
aethiopica and Parinari polyandra were 2.1±0.25%, 2.1±0.20% and
7.09±0.20% respectively. The total carbohydrate of Xylopia
aethiopica was 55.80±4.26%, that of Parinari polyandra was
54.27±3.20% and that of Blighia sapida was 39.45±2.20%. Xylopia
aethiopica can be a good source of magnesium (2.236±0.095), phosphorus
(0.620±0.04) and potassium (0.510±0.04) as the amount of these mineral
elements were higher than that of the other plant parts with the exception
of Parinari polyandra having 0.690±0.11% phosphorus. Blighia
sapida is also a good source of phosphorus (0.400±0.20), magnesium
(0.430±0.20) and calcium (0.348±0.15). Other mineral elements detected in
reasonable amounts were calcium, zinc and sodium. Further tests revealed
that heavy metals such as lead, chromium and cadmium were not detected.
The results of this research indicated that the three plants parts have
nutritional qualities that could provide the users with additional
nutrients.
O.A. Abolaji, A.H. Adebayo and O.S. Odesanmi, 2007. Nutritional Qualities of Three Medicinal Plant Parts (Xylopia aethiopica, Blighia sapida and Parinari polyandra) commonly used by Pregnant Women in the Western Part ofNigeria. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition, 6: 665-668.
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