Nutraceutical Potentials of Cissus populnea Linn Cultivated in the Southern Guinea Savanna Agroecology of Nigeria
Background and Objective: The plant Cissus pulpunea has been used as food for several years by the “Idomas” and “Igalas” speaking areas of the middle belt region (Southern Guinea savanna) of Nigeria. Little was it known that the food crop has nutraceutical properties. In this study, bioactive components of Cissus populnea such as vitamin, amino acids, proximate, mineral and phytochemical were analyzed using standard procedures. Materials and Methods: The stems of C. pulpunea where sectioned and sent to the laboratory where Protocols for carbohydrates, crude fibre, crude protein, Crude Fat, mineral composition and oxalate were all determined. Means of the replicates were obtained and recorded. Results: The percentage vitamins showed that Ascorbic acid had the highest value and the least was tocopherols. The essential and non-essential amino acid range from 0.10- 14.48% for essential and 0.05-5.44% for non-essential in that order. The percentage total amino acid of C. populnea is 45.38%. The proximate composition of C. populnea are protein, ash, crude fibre, fat, nitrogen, moisture content and carbohydrate. The phytochemical results revealed the presence of some secondary metabolites found in C populnea to include flavonoids, phenolics, alkaloid, oxalate, glucosides, phytate, saponin, trypsin inhibitors and HCN. The mineral composition showed the presence of minerals as calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, manganese, iron, zinc and copper. Conclusion: The study therefore supports the cultivation of C. populnea with the aim of improving the bioactive, components, directly providing medicinal and nutritional requirements of humans.
