Furthering an understanding of West African plant foods Mineral, fatty acid and protein content of seven cultivated indigenous leafy vegetables of Ghana

Details

• Personal Author:
  Amoako-Atta B ; Ankar-Brewoo G ; Chuang-LT ; Glew RH ; Glew RS ; Millson M ; Presley J ; Smith BR
• Description:
  Purpose - The main purpose of this paper is to determine the content of amino acids, fatty acids and minerals in seven indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach - Leaves from plants growing near Kumasi were milled to a fine powder, dried to constant weight in a vacuum desiccator, and analyzed for their content of the afore-mentioned nutrients. The plants were: Hibiscus sabdarija, Hibiscus cannabinus, Amaranthus cruentus, Corchorus oliforius, Solanum macrocarpon, Xanthomosa sagittifolium and Vigna unguiculatus. Findings - All seven ILVs contained a large amount of protein (15.5-22.8 percent), which compared favorably to the essential amino acid pattern of a WHO standard. They all contained nutritionally useful amounts of alpha-linolenic acid and had an omega-6/omega-3 ratio of 0.1-0.9. The seven ILVs contained quantities of calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum and zinc that could contribute significantly to satisfying an individual's need for these elements. Research limitations/implications - The presence of relatively large amounts of various nutritionally essential macro- and micronutrients in these seven ILVs does not necessarily mean these nutrients are bioavailable. Future research is required to determine the amounts of anti-nutrients (e.g. protease inhibitors, chelators) in these vegetables, and the extent to which their protein, lipid and mineral constituents are digested and/or absorbed. Originality/value - Since malnutrition (e.g. iron-deficiency anemia, rickets, zinc deficiency, protein-calorie malnutrition) is common in sub-Saharan Africa, the information which is provided should increase awareness among agricultural and public health officials of the nutritional value of seven underappreciated and underutilized ILVs that are indigenous to Ghana and many other parts of Africa. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Amino Acids Diet Minerals Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Amino-acids Fatty-acids Food Foodstuff Nutrition Plant-substances Plants Proteins Vegetation
• ISSN:
  0007-070X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  California ; Michigan ; New Mexico ; Ohio ; OSHA Region 5 ; OSHA Region 6 ; OSHA Region 9
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  DART - Division of Applied Research and Technology
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  112
• Issue:
  10
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20038239
• Citation:
  Br Food J 2010 Oct; 112(10):1102-1114
• Contact Point Address:
  R.H. Glew, University New Mexico, School of Medicine, Departtment of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Albuquerque, NM 87131 USA
• Email:
  rglew@salud.unm.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2011
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  British Food Journal
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:369a642e47195a39af09a663dd064a5c5f0c434372bfd48f5e47c5f81a0b949ccea65af5914cbfaf8a55b47ff8ce36509afd8a81cf7ed2a7b4580b156e3967e8
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/192012/cdc_192012_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 101.64 KB ]