Abstract
Fresh salad vegetables are essential for good health and they form a major component of human diet in every family in Nigeria. Raw vegetables can be agent of transmission of intestinal parasites. The aim of this study is to determine the parasitic contamination of salad vegetables sold at wholesale and retail markets around Ilorin metropolis. A total of 150 samples of salad vegetables obtained from five different markets were examined for both protozoa and helminth parasites using standard methods. About 25 samples each of lettuce, cabbage, carrot, cucumber, tomato and onion were examined. Eggs of Ascaris lumbricoides, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar , Enterobius vermicularis, cysts of Giardia lamblia, Fasciola hepatica, Trichuris trichiura, Strongyloides stercoralis, Balantidium coli and Necator americanus were detected in 28.0%, 23.3%, 11.7%, 5.0%, 6.7%, 3.3%, 10.0%, 3.3% and 8.3% respectively. Of the sampled areas, Ipata market recorded the highest parasite prevalence of 63.3% while G.R.A market recorded the lowest parasite prevalence of 13.3%. The most encountered parasite was A.lumbricoides (28.0%) while N.americanus was the least (3.3%) parasite found. The study revealed a high rate of protozoa and helminthes contamination of salad vegetables in the study areas. Parasitological contamination of raw salad vegetables sold in wholesale and retail markets in the study area may pose a health risk to consumers of such products. Keywords: Parasitic, Salad vegetables, Contamination, Ilorin, Nigeria.
Highlights
Vegetable is that portion of a herbaceous plant’s roots, stems, leaves or fruits that is fresh
The data revealed that salad vegetables collected in Ipata had the highest parasite prevalence of 31.67% followed by Oja-oba (23.33%), Oja-tuntun (21.67%), Tipper garage (16.67%), and G.R.A had the least prevalence of 6.67%
Our results showed that locally consumed vegetables are often contaminated with human intestinal parasites especially in areas where night soil or waste water reuse is practiced
Summary
Vegetable is that portion of a herbaceous plant’s roots, stems, leaves or fruits that is fresh. Vegetables form an important ingredient of man’s daily diet It is a rich source of vitamins, proteins and mineral requirements for human health. They contain chlorophyll, fibres, luthin, zeaxanthin, calcium, folate, vitamin C, and carotene. These nutrients reduce the risk of cancer, lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol, normalize digestion time, support retina health and vision, fights harmful free radicals and boost immune system activity (Duckworth, 1996). They are relatively quite cheaper and affordable compared to the cost of meat which seems to have gone beyond the reach of an average Nigerian family
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
