Use Of Leafy Vegetables Research Articles

Healthcare management through mitigation of COVID-19 pandemic with leafy vegetables

COVID-19 pandemic becomes one of the leading challenges across the world. To fight against the virus, compulsory maintenance of nutritional status is very important. Age, sex, health status, medications and lifestyles are the important factors affecting individuals regarding their nutritional status. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the nutritional status of individuals is destabilized. To survive the current situation, a sustainable nutritional dietary should be maintained for strengthening the immune system. One of the most important ways to maintain the immune system is to supplement enough vitamin C. A spectrum of viruses that belongs to the coronavirus in humans usually causes the common cold, which is recently severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). SARS considered a major threat to public health, which is an emerging infectious disease. According to WHO, COVID-19 caused by the coronavirus, in which most people probably have low immunity. Eighty-five per cent of the immune system has been made by plant-based food supplements, which increase beneficial intestinal bacteria. Minerals like zinc, magnesium, micronutrients, herbal foods and vitamins C, D and E and plenty of water promote health, which is highly helpful to overcome the infection. Many studies revealed that COVID-19 infection prevented by the powerful antioxidant glutathione and bioflavonoid quercetin;to control COVID-19, plant-based foods playing a very important role to increase the immunity of people. Leafy greens and vegetables play a very important role in food and nutritional safety. Green leafy vegetables are an excellent source of vitamins, phenolic compounds and minerals. Calcium and iron are rich in leafy vegetables than that of staple food grains. Folic acid is also present in leafy vegetables. Different leafy greens, especially Moringa oleifera leaves, contain a high amount of folic acid compared to other leafy and non-leafy vegetable plants. This review paper aims to explore the nutritional and antinutritional factors of some important leafy vegetables. The content of nutritional and antinutritional factors varies among the genera and species of most of the edible leafy vegetables. Antinutritional factors are considered the important compound in the plant, in which they determine the absorption capacity of nutrients in human beings. Important dietary factors such as phytates, oxalates, nitrates, glycosides and cyanogenic are fruitful in many health-related problems. This article mainly explores the significance of nutrition and the use of leafy vegetables to boost up the immunity system in human beings and provide reliable dietary strategies about food safety and nutrition to survive COVID-19 pandemic around the world, especially in India.

A preliminary report on the use of leafy vegetables by the native of Bargarh district, Western Odisha, India

The study was conducted on four dominant tribal communities namely Sahara, Binjhal, Kondh and Gond of Bargarh district, Western Odisha, to assess the diversity of plant species consumed as ‘leafy vegetables’. A total of 39 plant species, belonging to 31 genus and 26 families were recorded in the interviews and enquiries. The dominant families were Amaranthaceae and Brassicaceae contributing five species each. The Cucurbitaceae family contributed three species and the families Chenopodiaceae, Convolvulaceae and Fabaceae contributed two species each respectively. Rest of the 20 families contributed one species each. The leafy vegetables consumed by these four tribes include 29 nos. of herbs (74%), 05 nos. of trees (13%), 04 nos. of climbers (10%) and one shrub (3%). Species like Amaranthus oleraceous, Amaranthus viridis L., Basella alba L., Chenopodium album L., Cucurbita maxima Duchesne., Coriandrum sativum L., Glinus oppositifolius (L.) A.DC., Ipomoea aquatica Forssk., Marsilea minuta L., Moringa oleifera Lam. and Spinacia oleracea L., were used most extensively. Most of the tribal people depend on wild leafy vegetables than the cultivated ones. Many wild leafy vegetables were used for medicinal purposes as well, e.g. Alternanthera sessilis L.R. Br., Glinus oppositifolius (L.) A.DC. Ipomoea aquatica Forssk., Azadirachta indica A. Juss., Enhydra fluctuans Lour., Hygrophila auriculata Schum. (Heine.), Murraya koenigii L. Spreng and Oxalis corniculata L. Domestication of these reported species will not only improve the economic condition of the people but will also aid in conservation of biodiversity, sustainability and food security.

Phytochemistry, proximate and antioxidant properties of some indigenous leafy vegetables

The use of leafy vegetables in diet is a common practice among the people of the Northern ethnic groups of Ghana. In this study, a survey was conducted in the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo district and Kanvilli of the Tamale Metropolis of the Northern Region of Ghana, to document the indigenous leafy vegetables routinely consumed as part of their alimentary culture. The phytochemical content, proximate composition and antioxidant properties of the plants cited were assessed. Nine leafy vegetables: Amaranthus cruentus, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Corchorus olitorius, Vernonia amygdalina, Phaseolus vulgaris, Ipomoea batatas, Adansonia digitata, Moringa oleifera and Annona reticulate were inventoried. These plants contained various groups of phytochemicals and were generally rich in carbohydrates, protein and fibre, but low in fat. They contain an appreciable amount of energy and also demonstrated good antioxidant activities. These characteristics of the vegetables suggested their usefulness in the maintenance of good health, which may also explains why these groups of Ghanaians in the Northern region are regarded as being very strong and healthy.