A Comparative Nutritional Assessments of Leaf Extracts of Ocimum gratissimum and Solanum aethiopicum

Abstract

Background: Ocimum gratissimum and Solanum aethiopicum are widely utilized medicinal plants employed in ethnomedicine for the treatment of myriads of health abnormalities including anaemia, constipation, inflammation and ulcers. The present study compared the nutritional compositions of these two medicinal plants. Methods: The leaf of these plants were destalked and air-dried differently for 8 days. The dried samples were milled into fine powder using an auto-milling machine. The homogenized samples were subjected to quantitative analysis and atomic absorption spectrophotometry for phytochemical and mineral determinations respectively, while proximate analysis was determined by the methods described by Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). Results: There were significant (p<0.05) increase in the percentage compositions of alkaloid, saponin and phytate in Solanum aethiopicum when compared to Ocimum gratissimum. On the other hand; tannin, flavonoid and phenols significantly increased (p<0.05) in Ocimum gratissimum more than Solanum aethiopicum. All the quantified proximate and mineral compositions (Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, Na+, P, Fe2+, Zn2+) were significantly higher (p<0.05) in O. gratissimum compared to S. aethiopicum. Again, S. aethiopicum revealed higher moisture content (84.33 %) than O. gratissimum (8.99 %). Conclusion: The results revealed higher nutritional composition in Ocimum gratissimum than Solanum aethiopicum. Therefore, increase consumption of these nutritional and medicinal compliant plants will help in diet formulation and alleviate the scourges associated with malnutrition in the population.