Scent basil (Ocimum gratissimum L) is a plant of great medicinal, and ornamental value. Parts of the plant, especially, the leaves, are used to garnish food, treat various health challenges ranging from gasrtro-intestinal problem, cough etc. Despite its usefulness, the leaves are affected by some yellowish-brown distortions which affect their maximum use as ornamental and others. This work is aimed at isolation and identification of the fungus associated with this foliar problem, and its effect on the proximate and phytochemical composition of the leaves which could reduce their maximum benefits to man. Standard method was used for the isolation of the fungal culprit, and the manual of Barnett and Hunter was used for its identification. The method of AOAC was used for the analysis of the proximate and the anti-nutrient compositions, while the mineral composition was determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. All the chemicals used in this work were of analytical grades. The result showed that Geotrichum gloeosporoides was associated with the leaves of the plant. Moisture, carbohydrate, crude fat, protein, crude fiber and ash, all the minerals sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and iron, and the anti-nutrient alkaloids, phenol, glycoside, tannins, steroids, flavonoids, and quinone contents of the apparently healthy leaves, were significantly higher than the infected (p <0.05). Generally, the results showed that the organism caused significant decrease in the proximate and phytochemical contents of the infected leaves, which implies a marked reduction in the nutrients benefits consumers could derive from the leaves of the plant.
Green and Black tea are consumed by different shades of people in Nigeria to strengthen their immunity. This work was aimed at the analysis of the proximate and mineral compositions of Green and Black tea to determine the one that offers more nutrient values. Samples of the brands were collected from grocery shops. Analysis of the proximate composition of the tea samples was done following the standard procedures of Association of Official Analytical Chemists, while the mineral composition was determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometer . All the chemicals used in this work were of analytical grades. Screening for proximate and mineral composition of the processed tea samples indicated the presence of the following minerals in mg/g -Manganese, Copper, Zinc, Iron, Sodium, Magnesium. Calcium and Lead were not detected in the two tea samples, while Zinc was not in Black tea, and Potassium in Green tea. Iron, Zinc, Sodium and Manganese had the highest value in Green tea than in Black, whereas Potasium and Cupper had the highest value in Black tea than in Green tea. For the proximate in % -Moisture , Ash, Protein, Crude Fats, Fiber, Carbohydrate were present. Moisture, Fibre, Ash and Fats and oil had the highest value in Green tea than in Black tea, whereas Protein and Carbohydrate had the highest values in Black tea than in Green tea. The results, generally, offer greater opportunity for consumers to choose which tea type could be more beneficial for improving immunity.
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