Phytochemical Profile of Telfairia occidentalis Leaf Grown in Soilless and Soil Media using HPLC

Abstract

The phytochemical components of Telfairia occidentalis Hook F. leaf grown in soil (HS) and soilless (NM) media were assessed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The media used for the soil medium and soilless medium were humus soil and hydroponic solution, respectively. White-sand from the river was used to raise the seedlings before transferring into hydroponic solution. The plants were allowed to grow for a month for both HS and NM. The phytochemicals assessed were hydrogen cyanide, phytate, saponin, tannin, trypsin inhibitor, flavonoids and alkaloids. Standard procedures were followed in the analyses. The assessed phytochemicals for T. occidentalis revealed the following: phytate (9.774 ppm; 8.857 ppm), tannin (2.546 ppm; 2.127 ppm), oxalate (5.897 ppm; 5.927 ppm), saponin (6.829 ppm; 7.253 ppm), trypsin-inhibitor (1.290 ppm; 2.584 ppm), total flavonoids (10.019 g/100g; 8.064 g/100g), and total alkaloids (11.614 g/100g; 9.082 g/100g) for NM and HS media, respectively. Hydrogen cyanide content of T. occidentalis (0.001 ppm) was the same in both NM and HS. The phytochemical profile of T. occidentalis leaf varied in both media. Hydroponically grown T. occidentalis leaf had higher concentration of phytochemicals when compared to orthodox use of soil for cultivation of vegetable.