ABSTRACT
Objective:To evaluate the nutritional composition and elemental constituents of Kedrostis africana and their safety aspect.Methods:Proximate parameters (moisture,ash,crude fibre,crude fat,proteins,and carbohydrate and energy) were evaluated using ALASA methods,and elemental analysis by ICP-OES technique.Results:The results from nutritional analysis showed that the tuber used for this study had a low content of crude fat and high content of ash,crude protein,crude fibre,carbohydrate and energy having the recommended dietary allowances.The tuber was rich in major minerals Na,K,Ca and Mg,there was sufficient amount of trace elements Fe,Cu,and Zn while the anti-nutrients oxalate,phytate,alkaloids,and saponins were detected in amounts that are not harmful according to Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization.Conclusions:The outcome of this study suggests that this wild plant has very good nutritional potentials to meet the recommended dietary allowance and it could be a cheap source of essential nutrients that may ameliorate most nutritional challenges and can contribute remarkably to the amount of nutrient intake in human and animal diet.
ABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate phytochemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial activities of Kedrostis africana(K.africana). Methods: Dried tubers of K.africana were extracted in acetone,water and ethanol.The total phenol, flavonoid, proanthocyanidin and tannin contents were determined spectro-metrically. The antioxidant activity was examined using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, 2,2'-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) diammonium salt, nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide assays.The antimicrobial activity was determined by agar dilution method using minimum inhibitory concentration against 3 g positive and three gram negative strains while four fungal strains were also investigated. Results: Total phenol, flavonoids, proanthocyanidin and tannin contents ranged from (5.32 ± 0.01) to (10.51 ± 0.01) mg GAE/g; (42.58 ± 0.02) to (529.23 ± 0.01) mg QE/g;(15.05 ± 0.00) to (585.64 ± 0.00)mg CE/g and (0.301 ± 0.010) to (0.937 ± 0.000)mg TAE/g, respectively. The IC50values of the ethanol extract for 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethyl-benzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)and hydrogen peroxide were 0.054 and 0.057 mg/mL, respectively,aqueous extract had an IC50value of 0.135 7 mg/mL for nitric oxide while the acetone extract had an IC50value of 0.300 mg/mL for 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl. The ethanol extract demonstrated effective antimicrobial activity against the tested pathogenic species with minimum inhibitory concentrations values ranging from 2.5–5.0 mg/mL for bacteria and(0.312 5–5.000 0)mg/mL for fungi, respectively. Conclusions: The tuber of K. africana showed potent free radical scavenging property and antimicrobial activity.