TI: Analysis of nutritional components of eight famine foods of the Republic of Niger.


AU: Sena-LP; VanderJagt-DJ; Rivera-C; Tsin-ATC; Muhamadu-I; Mahamadou-O; Millson-M; Pastuszyn-A; Glew-RH
AD: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131-5221, USA.
SO: Plant-Foods-for-Human-Nutrition. 1998, 52: 1, 17-30; 17 ref.
FTXT: Kluwer Academic Publishers http://kapis.www.wkap.nl/oasis.htm/165048 EBSCO Online http://www.ebsco.com/online/direct.asp?ArticleID=JNE40DWDPVE5LBH8PJUB InformationQuest http://www.eiq.com/usr_login.html?sici=0921-9668%28000000%2952%3A1%3C17%3AX%3E2.0.CO%3B2-X
PY: 1998
LA: English


AB: In the western Sahel, indigenous plants become important staples when cereal harvests are inadequate to support populations inhabiting that region of Africa. This study assessed the nutrient content of several of these edible wild plants. The leaves of the following 7 plant foods were analyzed: Ziziphus mauritiana, Ceratotheca sesamoides, Moringa oleifera, Leptadenia hastata, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Amaranthus viridis, and Adansonia digitata. The fatty acid, vitamin E, carotenoid, selected mineral and amino acid contents of these plant foods were determined. These same analyses were performed on the fruit of the Adansonia digitata. In quantitative and qualitative terms, Amaranthus viridis was found to be an excellent source of protein. Its amino acid composition compared favourably to that of a WHO protein standard. It also contained considerable amounts of linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids and a number of minerals including iron, magnesium, calcium and zinc. The leaves of H. sabdariffa contained an appreciable quantity of protein the composition of which was comparable to the WHO standard. The mineral content of the leaves of this plant was also exceptionally high; noteworthy was its high zinc content. H. sabdariffa also contained significant quantities of essential fatty acids. Z. mauritiana was an excellent source of linoleic acid and several of the metals including iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc. Its content of other essential nutrients, however, was rather low. In general, Adansonia digitata leaves were nutritionally superior to the fruit of the tree; however, the fruit did contain useful quantities of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and alpha-linolenic acid. L. hastata leaves were an especially good source of lutein and beta-carotene. These data should be useful to the people who inhabit the western Sahel in helping them devise healthy diets during times when cereal staples are in short supply.


DE: amino-acids; essential-fatty-acids; vitamin-E; carotenoids-; analysis-; composition-; famine-; foods-; Sahel-; wild-plants; minerals-; trace-elements; polyenoic-fatty-acids; linoleic-acid; linolenic-acid; iron-; magnesium-; calcium-; zinc-; protein-quality; potassium-; phosphorus-; foliage-; leaves-; fruits-; roselle-
OD: Ziziphus-mauritiana; Ceratotheca-sesamoides; Moringa-oleifera; Hibiscus-sabdariffa; Amaranthus-viridis; Adansonia-digitata; Leptadenia-
GE: Niger-; Africa-
ID: Leptadenia-hastata
RN: 1406-18-4; 60-33-3; 463-40-1; 7439-89-6; 7439-95-4; 7440-70-2; 7440-66-6; 7440-09-7; 7723-14-0
BT: Ziziphus; Rhamnaceae; Rhamnales; dicotyledons; angiosperms; Spermatophyta; plants; Ceratotheca; Pedaliaceae; Scrophulariales; Moringa; Moringaceae; Capparidales; Hibiscus; Malvaceae; Malvales; Amaranthus; Amaranthaceae; Caryophyllales; Adansonia; Bombacaceae; Asclepiadaceae; Gentianales; ACP-Countries; Francophone-Africa; Least-Developed-Countries; Developing-Countries; West-Africa; Africa-South-of-Sahara; Africa; Leptadenia
CC: QQ050; QQ500; FF040; QQ070; KK600; KK110
CD: Crop-Produce; Food-Composition-and-Quality; Plant-Composition; Other-Produce; Agroforestry; Silviculture
PT: Journal-article
IS: 0921-9668
UD: 990416
AN: 991400893