Selected mineral and anti-nutrient composition of three varieties of<i>Hibiscus sabdariffa</i> Linn (Roselle) calyces

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Traditional African vegetables are extremely important for nutrition and are source of farm income, as they often supply most of the daily requirements for proteins, minerals and vitamins to the poor rural people (Okafor, 1995. It has been reported that nutrient deficiency diseases such as night blin scurvy and rickets common among Africans, can be avoided by greater consumption of nutritious vegetables (Mnzava, 1997). Hibiscus sabdariffa linn commonly called roselle is an annual erect, bushy herbaceous sub shrub with smooth or nearly smooth, cylindrical red stem. The plant is widely grown in the North and middle belt regions of Nigeria probably because of the climate (Babalola et al., 2001). The plant has been found to thrive on a wide range of soil conditions. It can perform satisfactorily on relatively infertile soils but for economic purposes, a soil well supplied with organic materials and essential nutrients is required (Adanlawo and Ajibade, 2006). It can tolerate relatively high temperature throughout the growing and fruiting periods. The plant requires an optimum rainfall of approximately 45 distributed over a 90-120 days growi (Amin et al., 2008). The plant is gaining wide acceptance, being consumed by several millions of people from different socioeconomic classes and background in the West African sub ABSTRACT The mineral and anti-nutrient composition of Hibiscuss sabdariffa linn calyces of dark red, red and white varieties from three sites in Zuru, Kebbi State, Nigeria. The sun dried samples were analysed for proximate, mineral, anti and Zn were analysed using AAS determined by the vanadomolybdadate method and ascorbic acid by spectrophotometric method. Phytic acid, oxalate and nitrate were determined using titration method. Saponin and cyanogenic glycoside were determined by gravimetric and spectrophotometric methods respectively. Only the concentrations for Ca and Mg (among the macro elements) showed no significant difference (p< 0.05) among the three varieties. Only the concentrations for Fe and Cu (among the micro elements) showed no significant difference (p< 0.05). The concentrations for ascorbic acid also showed no significant difference (p< 0.05). Similarly, the concentrations for Phytate and saponins showed no significant difference (p< Therefore, there is no much difference in the choice of dark red, red or white calyces of H. sabdariffa collected from Zuru for the purpose of supplying to the body Mg, Ca, Fe, Cu and Ascorbic acid.