Abstract
P. quadrifida is a juicy, mat-forming species and a widespread weed, which is highly appreciated for its high nutritional and medicinal value. It has been used as a nutrition and medicine since thousands of years ago. This is an important wild herb naturally found as a weed in field crops found in the world especially in India. In Ethiopia, particularly in western part of the country, societies use this plant aerial part as a food without perceive the nutritional quality and its appropriate harvesting stage. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of three harvesting stage on proximate composition and mineral content of the vegetable. All extracts showed noticeable amount of moisture, ash, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, carbohydrate, and minerals content (Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Iron, Potassium, and sodium) of this vegetable at each optimum harvesting stage. The proximate composition and mineral content of this leafy vegetable aerial part was evaluated and the result of mean value obtained were showed as follow: moisture (81.17 - 89.25%), crude proteins (1.187 - 2.186%), crude fibers (1.483 - 2.157%), ash (1.814 - 2.41%), carbohydrates (2.866 - 12.916%), crude fat (0.117 - 0.16%) and food energy (19.18 - 57.85 kcal/100g). The mineral contents were good with significant amount of K (211.70- 249), Ca (109.25 -133.21), Mg (63.04 - 84.74), P (103.71 - 136.14), Na (61.96 - 83.90) and Fe (3.06 - 4.34) mg/100g of extracted sample. The studied vegetable has low fat content at all harvesting stage. The herb has energetic values of 57.85kcal/100g at post-flowering followed by pre-flowering with energy value of 30.39kcal/100g and flowering stage having the least energy value of 19.18 k cal/100g in the food.
Highlights
African leafy vegetables are the cheapest and most willingly available sources of vitamins, protein, essential amino acids and minerals [1]
The percentage moisture content, ash content, crude fat, crude protein, crude fiber, carbohydrate and total energy of aerial part of P. quadrifida ranged from 81.17±2.68% to 91.42±3.902%, 1.814±0.012% to 2.41±0.01%, 0.117±0.033% to 0.16±0.034%, 1.187±0.031% to 2.186±0.05%, 1.483±0.007% to 2.157±0.014%, 2.866±0.792% to 12.916±0.549%, and 19.18±1.09% to 57.85±3.016% respectively
Early harvesting of the plant was recorded higher amount of protein and moisture content as well as post harvesting stage resulted in high ash, crude fiber and energetic value the reason might be source of protein is depending on nitrogen content and nitrogen is volatile through increasing of harvesting time
Summary
African leafy vegetables are the cheapest and most willingly available sources of vitamins, protein, essential amino acids and minerals [1]. This vegetables are cooked and eaten as a delight in together with a starchy staple food, usually in the form of porridge [2]. Wild edible plants are nutritionally rich and can supplement vitamins and micronutrients content in particular These show that wild edible plants are essential components of many African diets, especially in period of drought and food shortage season [4, 5]. In addition to their role in closing food gaps during periods of starvation or scarcity, wild edible plants play an important role as traditional medicine and in maintaining livelihood security for many people in third world countries [6, 7]
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