PHYTOCHEMICAL AND NUTRITIONAL EVALUATION OF COLOCASSIA ESCULENTA DRY LEAVES

Leafy vegetables are important items of diet in many Nigerian homes. Leafy vegctables arc valuable sources of nutrients especially in rural arcas where they contribute substantially in protein, mineral, vitamins, fiber and other nutrients which are usually in short supply in daily diets. The study aim to evaluate the phytochemical and nutritional composition &Colocassia esculenta或lhe plant contain saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, phenol, Terpenoids and tannin. The qualitative phytochemical estimation (%) revealed saponins (1.56), phenol (0.85%),alkaloids (0.57) flavonoids (0.90%) and terpernoids (0.42%). The result of the proximatc composition revealed is moisture content (7.32%), cash (7.98%), Crude fat (0.71%), crude protein (8.16%), Crude fiber (1.74%), Carbohydrate (74.06%),energy (344.98Kcal/100g).The result of the mineral composition (mg/100g) of C. esculenta showed high contents of Na (22.55),K(878.55), P(157.29), Ca (85.15), Mg (57.14) with low Fc (4.50) and Zn(2.62)while Cu(0.79),Ni(0.013) and Cr (0.229) were fouand in very low values. Pb (0.00), a toxic metal was absent.The research findings showed that the red C. esculenta dry leave is rich in bioactive secondary metabolites which justify the potential of the indigenous vegetable as medicinal plant. Also the vegetable contain high protein, low crude fat, Carbohydrate and modcrate ash and crude fibrc.This could also make red cocoyam leave to be suitable and recommended for human usc. The vegetable is cheap, can be sourced locally as cocoyam waste, nutritionally rich in protein,mineral, low crude fat couple with various groups of phytochemicals in the leaf are good for body health and development.