Bio-Banking on Neglected and Underutilized Plant Genetic Resources of Nigeria: Potential for Nutrient and Food Security
Bio-Banking on Neglected and Underutilized Plant Genetic Resources of Nigeria: Potential for Nutrient and Food Security作者机构：Department of Applied Biology Ebonyi State University Abakaliki Nigeria Department of Crop Production & Landscape Management Ebonyi State University Abakaliki Nigeria Department of Biology Nwafor Orizu College of Education Nsugbe Nigeria
出 版 物：《American Journal of Plant Sciences》 (美国植物学期刊（英文）)
年 卷 期：2015年第6卷第4期
页 面：518-523页
学科分类：1002[医学-临床医学] 100214[医学-肿瘤学] 10[医学]
主 题：Nutrient Improvement Underutilized Leafy Vegetables Micronutrient Food Security Southeast Nigeria
摘 要：The poor quality of habitual diet and lack of dietary diversity in Sub-Sahara Africa are grossly contributing to deficiencies of micronutrients in the menu of poor rural and semi urban communities particularly in Nigeria, leading to the high incidence of hidden hunger. This has manifested in the high prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as stunted growth, goiter, blindness, kwashiorkor and marasmus. Five underutilized traditional leafy vegetables (TLVs) of southeast Nigeria were assessed by standard methods to determine their physiochemical and antioxidant values. These TLVs were Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Monench (Okra), Ageratum conyzoides Linn (Goat weed), Acanthus montanus (Ness) T. Anders. (Leopard’s tongue), Bombax buonopozense P. Beauv. (Kapok Tree) and Mucuna flagellipes (Devil bean). Results showed that the leaves of Bombax buonopozense and Abelmoschus esculentus contained appreciable amounts of protein, fat, fibre, carbohydrate and mineral elements, and generally low level of toxicants. Furthermore, the anti-oxidant contents of the five TLVs highlighted their biological values as medicinal plants with the high potency in fighting diseases. The above results showed that these vegetables could be valuable and important contributors to the diets of the rural poor and semi-urban people of southeast Nigeria for improved human nutrition, reduction of hidden hunger and food security.
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