Nutritive Value and Inherent Anti-nutritive Factors in Four Indigenous Edible Leafy Vegetables in Human Nutrition in Nigeria: A Review

Abstract

Indigenous edible vegetable leaves such as fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis Hook f.), bitter leaf (Vernonia amygdalina), sweet potato (Ipomea batatas), cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) and Moringa oleifera are inexpensive source of cheap and abundant source of proteins, carbohydrate, minerals, vitamins and fibres to most vulnerable groups. Edible leaves from vegetable plants are rich source of beta-carotene a precursor for vitamin A. They have medicinal properties reservoir for the sick to recuperate in addition to natural source of therapeutic agents. Local vegetables are useful contributors to rural and urban people’s diets in Nigeria but some contain anti-nutritional factors such as cyanogenic glucoside; oxalate; phytate; saponin and tannin to mention but a few that make them unsafe. Traditional processing methods are used to detoxify those with anti-nutrients safe for human nutrition.