Proximate Nutritional Analysis and Heavy Metal Composition of Dried Moringa Oleifera Leaves from Oshiri Onicha L.G.A, Ebonyi State, Nigeria

Abstract

To carry out proximate analysis and heavy metal assessment of dried moringa leaves in order to ascertain their nutritional and metal content values. Fresh leaves of moringa oleifera lam were plucked from moringa trees growing at Egbooda, Oshiri in Onicha area of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The period of sampling was for 2 weeks in the month of March, 2013. The leaves were air dried at room temperature and their proximate contents determined using standard analytical techniques. Ash and moisture contents were determined using the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) method. Fat, crude fibre and protein content were determined using soxhlet fat extraction method, weende's method and kjeldahl method respectively. In addition, carbohydrate content was determined using arithmetic difference method. Results show that the mean nutritional content of the samples were: 24.5% protein, 14.8% moisture, 17.3% crude fibre, 4.5% Fat, Ash 3.8% Ash and 50.6% carbohydrate. Heavy metal composition was assessed using spectrophotometric and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) titrimetric methods. The results indicated that Ca and Cd were not detected in the leaf samples. The metal contents in the leaves were Fe (505 mg/L), Zn (85,810.951 mg/L), Cu (1.016mg/L), Mg (386.555mg/L), Mn (79.563mg/L) and Pb (352.013 mg/L).