Abstract
This study evaluated the nutrient and essential oil compositions of <i>Heterotis rotundifolia</i> leaves. The leaves were carefully sorted and air-dried for 14 days at room temperature (20-25°C). The dried leaves were ground into powder using a grinding mill. Proximate composition, vitamins and physicochemical properties were analyzed using AOAC method while fatty acid and essential oil compositions were characterized using GC-MS. The proximate composition of the leaves showed higher carbohydrate content (80.97±0.03%) and moderate protein content (9.9±0.06%); while lipid (3.13±0.01%), fibre (1.30±0.01%), moisture (2.90±0.03%) and ash (1.89±0.02%) contents were low. Physicochemical properties of the oil revealed a high saponification value (238.43±0.84mg/KOH) and peroxide value (47.20±0.38mEq/kg). Fatty acid composition shows 83.69% saturated fatty acid with stearic acid (22.69±0.02%), myristic acid (18.54±0.01%) and palmitic acid (15.48±0.02%) as predominant fatty acids. Unsaturated fatty acid composition was 9.72% with oleic acid (9.49±0.04%) and linolenic acid (0.23±0.01%) as predominant fatty acids. Vitamin composition also revealed higher concentrations of vitamins C (695.57±0.20mg/kg), B<sub>6</sub> (70.33±0.88mg/kg), A (61.67±0.02mg/kg) and D (26.08±0.06mg/kg). Essential oil composition revealed a total of 24 compounds which include; long chain fatty acid, fatty acid methyl esters, hydrocarbons and alcoholic compound amongst which Neophytadiene (14.427%), n-Hexadecanoic acid (14.148%) and squalene (11.258%) were present in substantial amount. The proximate and essential oil compositions, vitamin content and physicochemical characteristics suggest that <i>H. rotundifolia</i> leaves have potential nutritional and medicinal value to man and animals.
Highlights
All over the world, the focus on plant research has increased greatly in recent times and enormous observations on the potential of medicinal plants employed in traditional systems have been discovered [1]
Physicochemical parameters of the leaves of Heterotis rotundifolia such as refractive index, density, viscosity, acid value, peroxide value, iodine value, saponification value, free fatty acid and thiobarbituric acid were estimated by the method of AOAC (1990) [13]
The results shows that the leaves are relatively higher in Vitamins C, B6, B2, A and D when compared to the report by Offor, (2015) [34]
Summary
The focus on plant research has increased greatly in recent times and enormous observations on the potential of medicinal plants employed in traditional systems have been discovered [1]. To better understand the worth of various medicinal plant species which are used as food along with their therapeutic benefits, determination of their nutritional significance is essential. Lipid-soluble secondary metabolites of aromatic plants, synthesized from all parts of the plant and are characterized by their strong odor. They are used in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries for their fragrances, taste, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, analgesic, sedative, anti-inflammatory, spasmolytic and local. Charity Uchechi Ogunka-Nnoka et al.: Nutrient and Essential Oil Compositions of Heterotis rotundifolia Leaves anesthetic properties as well as insecticide activity [7]. The dried leaves were ground into powder using a grinding mill and sieved using 100mm mesh
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