Original Research Article
Year: 2018 | Month: July | Volume: 8 | Issue: 7 | Pages: 55-62
Proximate Composition, Nutritional Evaluation and Mineral Analysis in the Leaves of an Indigenous Medicinal Plant, Alternanthera Sessilis
Lalitha Sree. T1, Vijayalakshmi. K2
1Research Scholar, Department of Biochemistry, Bharathi Women’s College, Chennai - 600 108.
2Associate Professor, Department of Biochemistry, Bharathi Women’s College, Chennai - 600 108.
Corresponding Author: Lalitha Sree. T
ABSTRACT
Plants are the good source of essential nutrients and minerals that contribute to the well being of an individual. On proper supplementation through diet, they can acquire, convert, allocate, distribute and pave way for proper utilization of all the essential components in the biological system. The present investigation is focused on the proximate analysis and nutritional evaluation of minerals in the leaves of the indigenous medicinal plant, Alternanthera sessilis. Percentage of moisture content, total ash, carbohydrate, protein, crude fat and crude fiber were analysed. It was revealed from the study that the edible portion, the leaves of the plant was found to contain high carbohydrate, protein and fiber. Poorer levels of fat were reported. Moisture content was also found to be higher. About 10 macro and microelements were evaluated by atomic absorption spectroscopy (Na, K, Ca. P. Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Fe and Cr). All the mineral contents correlated with RDA values. Among them, Iron and Manganese were present in higher proportions. The plant was found to be a rich source of macro and micro elements in sufficient quantities. The results of the present study indicated that the regular consumption of this plant would be a boon to combat malnutrition and other health disorders.
Key words: Alternanthera sessilis, Proximate analysis, Mineral analysis, RDA, Macro and microelements, malnutrition.