Phytochemicals, Elemental and Proximate analyses of Piper Guineense Leaves

Abstract

Piper guineense leaves were studied for their phytochemical, proximate, and mineral content.  Standard methods, such as elemental determination with an atomic absorption spectrophotometer and Flame Photometry, were used for the analyses. The carbohydrate content, crude fat, crude protein, crude fiber, ash content, and moisture content were 40.60%, 2.00%, 17.55%, 9.55%, 14.00%, and 12.00%, respectively, according to the experimental results. Phytochemical analysis revealed that the leaf samples included a high quantity of alkaloids, flavonoids, reducing sugar, phenols, tannins, quinones, and cardiac glycosides. The mineral compositions of the investigated leaf show the presence of Fe (20.49 ± 0.25 Mg/100g), Zn (5.67 ± 0.10 Mg/100g), Mg (23.03 ± 5.10 Mg/100g), K (12.06 ± 0.10 Mg/100g) and Ca (120.98 ± 10.00 Mg/100g). The presence of essential minerals, phytochemicals such as alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and cardiac glycosides, as well as carbohydrate and crude protein, suggests that it might function as a spice, food, preservative, insecticide, herbal medicine, fragrance in the cosmetic industry, and alternative source of medicine.