Evaluation of Phytochemical, Proximate and Mineral Contents of Leaves and Stem of Potato Tree (Solanum erianthum) sourced from Botanical Garden in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the phytochemical, proximate and mineral contents of leaves and stem of Potato tree (Solanum erianthum) sourced from Botanical Garden in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria using appropriate standard methods. The phytoconstituents detected in the hexane, ethyl acetate, and methanol extracts included alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, tannins and glycosides. The crude protein contents of the leaves and the stem were 25.52% and 15.31 %, respectively. The crude fibre content of the leaves was 33.5% while that of the stem was 73.5%. The carbohydrate contents of the leaves and the stem were 29.68 % and 4.62%, respectively. The potassium content obtained for the leaves was 1128 mg/100g while that of the stem was 528 mg/100g. The magnesium contents of the leaves and stem were 356 mg/100g and 216 mg/100 g, respectively. The calcium content of the leaves and stem of the plant were 300 mg/100g and 191 mg/100, respectively. In addition, the iron content of the leaves and the stem were22.46mg/100g and 16.89 mg/100g, respectively. The results show that apart from their medicinal uses, the leaves and stem of the plant are potential food sources.