Nutritional composition of Corchorus olitorius leaves

Abstract

The proximate and mineral composition of Corchorus olitorius leaves collected from a farm site at Barkin-Saleh in Minna town, Niger State, Nigeria, were carried out using standard methods of food analysis. The results of proximate composition showed that the leaves contained 18.38±0.32% ash, 12.54±0.10% crude protein, 11.99±0.50% crude lipid and 19.56±0.18% available carbohydrate. The leaves also had high energy value of 200.78±3.54 kcal/100g respectively. Mineral analysis revealed that potassium (2814.15±8.08 mg/100g) and magnesium (76.69± 0.13 mg/100g) were the dominant elements. The leaves also contained appreciable concentrations of Na (54.56±0.42 mg/100g), Ca (30.55±0.05 mg/100g), P (6.68±0.02 mg/100g), Cu (2.52±0.02 mg/100g), Fe (19.53±0.09 mg/100g), Mn (5.95±0.04 mg/100g) and Zn (4.71+0.01 mg/100g). The present result confirmed that Corchorus Olitorius leaves are rich sources of potassium, iron, copper, manganese and zinc as well as high energy values essential in human and animal nutrition.