DOI: 10.21276/sajp.2016.5.8.6

Pages: 342-349

This research aimed at investigating the nutritional and antinutritional contents of the leaves of wild edible plant, Crotalaria laburnoides (commonly known as „Nsonga‟ by natives), in order to provide knowledge on the nutritional implication of feeding on C. laburnoides diet. A comparative analysis on the nutritional and antinutritional factors of raw and blanched leaves of C. laburnoides was carried out using standard analytical methods, where levels of some nutrients and antinutrients were determined. Results obtained showed the percentage (%) moisture contents as 15.25 and 14.90, ash as 8.37 and 9.56, crude fiber as 12.91 and 12.87, crude protein as 7.61 and 10.37, crude fat as 1.41 and 1.64, and carbohydrate as 54.45 and 50.14 for raw and blanched samples respectively. The findings also revealed that β-carotene contents as 10.50 and 7.93 mg/100 g, Vitamin B1 as 1.77 and 1.02 mg/100 g, Vitamin B2 as 7.71 and 1.83 mg/100 g for raw and blanched leaves respectively whereas Vitamin C was not detected in both samples. Mineral analysis revealed that there were high amounts of Calcium as 5999 and 11700 ppm and Manganese 105 and 110 ppm for raw and blanched leaves respectively. Also the findings revealed the presence of metal contaminants (“heavy metals”) in both samples. The contents of antinutritional factors (ANFs); oxalates were 52.94 and 40.0 mg/100g, phytate were 4.30 and 2.02 mg/100g and tannin were 0.115 and 0.073 mg/100g for raw and blanched leaves respectively. The results of this study revealed that C. laburnoides leaves are good nutritionally, containing proximate components, minerals and vitamins in amounts comparable to cultivated species. However, they have high contents of ANFs