Abstract
The aim of this work was to evaluate the nutritional and hepatotoxic potential of leaf of T. danielli. Freshly harvested leaves of T. danielli was dried at room temperature, ground to fine powder. 500 g of powdered plant sample was soaked in 2 litres of 70% methanol for 72 hrs. The resulting extract was filtered and filtrate concentrated. Twenty adult male albino rats were divided into 4 groups of 5 rats per group. · Group I: Normal control was fed with only normal rat diet and water ad libitum. · Group II: Rats were administered with 200 mg/kg b.w of extract of T.danielli leaf orally. · Group III: Rats were administered with 400 mg/kg b.w of methanol extract of T.danielli leaf orally. · Group IV: Rats were administered with 600 mg/kg b.w of methanol extract of T.danielli leaf orally. Nutrient composition of the leaf of T. danielli was determined using standard procedures. The proximate analysis on the leaf of the said plant revealed the presence of moisture, ash, fat, protein, fibre and carbohydrate with fat being more abundant (17.30±1.28%) than every other components and carbohydrate the least abundant (8.29±0.20%). However, analysis on the mineral composition, revealed the presence of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, sodium and iron. While calcium (7.20±0.23 g/ 100 g) was reportedly the most abundant of all elements, sodium was the least (0.40±0.03 g/ 100g). Evaluation of the vitamin composition of the leaf of T. danielli revealed the presence of vitamins A, B1, B3, B5, B6 and B12. B12 was the most abundant (8.32±0.42 g/ 100g) of the vitamins. The activity of serum hepatomarkers evaluated was not significantly (P>0.05) different from that reported on the control following oral administration of aqueous extract of T. danielli. In conclusion, the leaf of T. danielli contains vital nutrients and has no hepatotoxic effect.
Highlights
The monocotyledonous herb Thaumatococcus danielli (Benn) Benth is predominantly found in the rain forests and coastal areas of West and Central Africa [1]
The leaves which were authenticated at the herbarium unit of the Department of Forestry, MichealOkpara University of Agriculture Umudike (MOUAU) Abia State and South East Nigeria were transported to the laboratory in a clean polythene bag after which the leaves were thoroughly washed using clean tap water
There was no significant (P
Summary
The monocotyledonous herb Thaumatococcus danielli (Benn) Benth is predominantly found in the rain forests and coastal areas of West and Central Africa [1]. The plant, a large rhizomatous flowering herb which grows to 3-4 m in height is characterized by large papery leaves [2]. It bears pale purple flowers and a crimson coloured fruits containing a few shiny black seeds [2]. In Nigeria, it is popularly referred to as soft cane [3] and one of the neglected and underutilized plant species. It is known to grow widely in cocoa growing areas of Southwest Nigeria [4]. The plant is used as fetish plants in Gabon [5] and the aril a source of taumatin, a non-toxic and heat stable protein which is used as sweetener or taste modifier in beverages, desserts, chewing gums and pet foods [6]
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