Nutrients Composition of Some Red Vegetables from Fruit Garden Market in Port Harcourt

Abstract

Vegetables are fresh parts of plants which either raw, cooked, canned or processed in any other form, provide suitable human nutrition. This study was aimed at evaluating the nutrient composition of some red vegetables. Radish, Rhubarb, Strawberry, Beetroot and Red cabbage samples were purchased from fruit garden market, Port Harcourt, washed, oven dried at 500C and ground into powder using a manual grinder and preserved for proximate composition, vitamin and mineral analysis. The analysis was conducted using standard methods The result of proximate analysis showed that the percentage (%) composition of ash (4.58±0.07), protein (2.79±0.13) and fat (6.81±0.10) were significantly higher in strawberry when compared to other vegetables. Radish had the highest fibre (3.39±0.06) and moisture content (83.88±0.06) while the highest value of carbohydrate (29.50±0.04) was recorded in rhubarb. The result for vitamin analysis (mg/kg) showedthat the vitamin A and C content were significantly higher in strawberry when compared to others. Also, it was observed that vitamin B1 showed no significant difference in all the samples. The result for mineral analysis (mg/kg) showed that manganese and iron content were significantly higher in strawberry (0.55±0.02 and 1.39±0.03) when compared with other samples. Copper had the highest value in beetroot while the highest concentration of zinc was recorded in radish. The value of nickel (0.01±0.00) showed no significant difference in all the samples. The results suggest that the vegetables analysed contain appreciable amounts of nutrients including vitamins and minerals, thus should be included in diets to supplement daily dietary allowances needed by the body, hence improving nutritional status and curbing the problem of micronutrient deficiency.