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Aug 25, 2024Keywords:
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Main Article Content
Phytochemical and Nutritional Compositions of Fresh and Dry Gongronema latifolium Leaves: Possible Health Benefits
Abstract
Gongronema latifolium, commonly known as utazi, is a tropical rainforest plant used as a spice and vegetable in traditional medicine. This study investigated the phytochemical, nutritional, and antioxidant properties of utazi leaves, comparing fresh and dry samples using standard analytical methods. Phytochemical analysis revealed that fresh leaves had higher alkaloid (7.40 ± 0.06mg/100g) and tannin (4.58 ± 0.09 mg/100g) concentrations compared to dry leaves (7.00 ± 0.06mg/100g and 3.24 ± 0.10mg/100g, respectively). At the same time, flavonoid levels were marginally higher in dry leaves (31.06 ± 0.17mg/100g) than in fresh leaves (30.02 ± 0.23mg/100g). The proximate analysis demonstrated that drying significantly reduced moisture content from 78.60% in fresh leaves to 13.2% in dry leaves and concentrated proteins from 2.43% to 25.98%, ash from 2.80% to 8.54%, fibre from 2.40% to 12.33%, fat from 1.20% to 1.97%, and carbohydrates from 12.57% to 45.57%. Vitamin analysis indicated slight variations in beta-carotene (478.2 mg/100g in fresh leaves compared to 477.1 mg/100g in dry leaves), vitamin C (43.68 mg/100g in fresh leaves compared to 44.27 mg/100g in dry leaves), vitamin E (0.57 mg/100g in fresh leaves compared to 0.46 mg/100g in dry leaves), and vitamin B1 (0.29 mg/100g in fresh leaves compared to 0.24 mg/100g in dry leaves). The study underscored utazi's potential as a functional food rich in bioactive compounds, with drying enhancing its nutritional content by concentrating key nutrients. These findings provide a basis for the culinary and medicinal applications of utazi, highlighting its value in traditional medicine and its potential as a health-promoting ingredient.
