NUTRITIONAL IMPORTANCE OF INDIGENOUS LEAFY VEGETABLES IN CÔTE D’IVOIRE

Indigenous leafy vegetables (ILVs) production is rapidly increasing in urban and peri-urban areas of Côte d’Ivoire.
They are often consumed by the population.
Nutritional composition of samples of selected ILVs collected in urban and peri-urban farms and markets of Abidjan City were determined.
Analysis included pH, total proteins, sugars, ascorbic acid (vitamin C), -carotene (provitamin A), ash content, magnesium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and oxalic acid.
The results revealed that ILVs are all characterized by acid tissues.
Protein levels are noticeable varying from 20.2% in roselle to 46.6% in black nightshade.
Total sugar content varied from 1.85 g/100 g dry weight (DW) in spinach to 13.36 g/100 g DW in jute mallow.
Ascorbic acid concentration is more important in jute mallow (34.82 mg/100 g of fresh weight (FW)) than in spinach (22.67 mg/100 g FW). -carotene content is high in Lagos spinach (2.84 mg/100 g FW). Ash content varies from 8.88% (roselle) to 22.4% (spinach). Spider plant has the highest amounts of phosphorus (45.04 mg/100 g DW) and iron (51.32 mg/100 g DW). The lowest magnesium and calcium concentration is contained in roselle (0.62 and 1.28 mg/100 g DW respectively). Roselle also has the highest content of oxalic acid (16.65 mg/100 g DW) while amaranth has the lowest (5.92 mg/100 g DW). The study showed that these indigenous leafy vegetables have high nutritive contents and could significantly contribute to the strengthening of nutrition security in Côte d’Ivoire.

International Symposium on Underutilized Plants for Food Security, Nutrition, Income and Sustainable Development

E. Agbo, C. Kouame, A. Mahyao, J.C. N’zi, L. Fondio

nutrients, consumption, nutritional security, nutritive value, urban and periurban

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2009.806.45