Nutrient Analysis of Two Lesser-Known Indigenous Vegetables (Cocoyam and Sweet Potato Leaves) in Melon Soups

Abstract

The study investigated the nutrient composition of two lesser-known indigenous vegetables (cocoyam and sweet potato leaves) in melon soups. The study was conducted to identify proximate composition in three types of melon soups. The instrument adopted for the study was laboratory analysis of food nutrients by four food Technologists using official methods of Association of Official Analytical Chemists. The data for food nutrients were collected in triplicate from the melon soups in the food analysis laboratory, raw triplicate values of each food nutrients in the soups were collected and analyzed using ± SD and ANOVA statistics to test the hypotheses 1 – 2. The findings revealed that cocoyam and sweet potato leaves melon soups are as rich as fluted pumpkin leaf melon soup in proximate nutrients, such as protein in cocoyam and sweet potato leaves had (9.81: 8.90 while fluted pumpkin had 9.58), moisture (65.02: 64.74 while fluted pumpkin had 65.17); fats (7.75: 10.65 while fluted pumpkin 10.45), carbohydrate (12.68: 8.30 fluted pumpkin 7.87), fibre (3.78: 7.19 while fluted pumpkin had 5.49), and ash (0.95: 0.95 and fluted pumpkin 1.44). The study showed that there were significant differences between the mean values of the nutrients in the proximate analysis. Therefore, the consumption of cocoyam and sweet potato leaves should be encouraged by all families in the country. Cocoyam and sweet potato leaves should be sold in the open markets same way the popular vegetables are sold such as fluted pumpkin (Ugu) leaf.