Abstract
Anatomical, mineral and nutritional studies were carried out on various parts of Solanum nigrum and Solanum melongena using standard techniques. Analysis of variance was employed for data analysis. Anatomical studies showed that the two species have similar features in the transverse sections of their leaves and stem but have dissimilar features in the transverse sections of their roots. The mineral result revealed varying quantities of the minerals in the various parts of the two species. The highest mineral composition in S. melongena was selenium (1030.0± 10.0) which was found in the root, while potassium (2.75±1.59) which was found in the stem was the least. The highest mineral composition in S. nigrum was calcium (873.33±16.67) which was found in the leaves, while potassium was the least (2.26± 0.55) found in the root. Vitamin studied showed varying quantities of the vitamins in the various parts of the two species. The highest vitamin was vitamin A in the root of both species when compared to the other parts. The implication is that the two species are closely related and this justified their placement in the same genus Solanum while the slight difference between them supports their separation into different species. The result also indicated that the various part of the two species contained adequate amount of vitamins and minerals for human consumption.
Highlights
The Solanaceae family comprises about 98 genera and 2,700 species with a wide distribution, mainly in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world (Olmstead and Bohs, 2007)
In the anatomy of S. melongena, the mid-rib showed stellate trichomes in the epidermis made of a layer of cells
The mid rib of S. melongena is made of a layer of cells in the epidermis the cell and tissue arrangements and is similar in mid-rib of both plants except that there are 2 to 4 rib bundle wings present in the mid rib of S. melongena
Summary
Physiognomic characters, phytochemicals and anatomical properties of plant parts are sources for taxonomic inferences in different groups of flowering plants (Harborne, 1973; Buchanan et al, 2000).the objectives of this study is to provide empirical data on the morphology, anatomy and nutrition of these varieties of Solanum species for accurate description and proper identification
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