COMPARATIVE PROXIMATE, PHYTOCHEMICAL AND MINERAL CONTENTS OF FREEZE-DRIED AND AQUEOUS EXTRACTS OF VERNONIA AMYGDALINA DEL. LEAVES AND GARCINIA KOLA HECKEL SEEDS
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Date
2020
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Publisher
International Journal of Herbs and Pharmacological Research
Abstract
Medicinal plants have been used for centuries to meet primary healthcare needs. This study compared proximate,
phytochemicals, micronutrient and toxic metal concentrations in freeze-dried and aqueous extract samples of Vernonia
amygdalina (VA) leaves and Garcinia kola (GK) seeds. Fifty gram of freeze-dried samples and 50 mL of freshly prepared
aqueous extracts of VA and GK each were used for the analysis. Proximate compositions of VA and GK were assessed using standard analytical methods. Phytochemicals were quantified spectrophotometrically, vitamins by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and mineral compositions by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS). Proximate
compositions were significantly elevated in freeze-dried samples of VA and GK compared with aqueous extracts.
Phytochemicals: tannins, polyphenols and flavonoids, were higher in freeze-dried samples of VA and GK compared to
aqueous extracts (p<0.05). Terpenoids and alkaloids were only observed in VA (p<0.05) but not detected in GK. Similarly,
micronutrients including manganese, iron, copper, zinc, vitamins A, C and E were more concentrated in freeze-dried samples compared to aqueous extracts (p<0.05); while, toxic metals such as lead and cadmium were not detected in both freeze-dried and aqueous extracts of VA and GK. The findings suggested that freeze-dried samples of Vernonia amygdalina leaves and Garcinia kola seeds could possess good medicinal and therapeutic properties.
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Keywords
Freeze-dried samples, Aqueous extracts, Micronutrients, Phytochemicals, Proximate