Amino acid, fatty acid, and mineral composition of 24 indigenous plants of Burkina Faso
1997
Glew, R.H. | VanderJagt, J. | Lockett, C. | Grivetti, L.E. | Smith, G.C. | Pastuszyn, A. | Millson, M.
The leaves, seeds, flowers, and fruit of many indigenous plants are staples of populations who inhabit the Sahel region of Africa. They serve to supplement the nutrients provided by cereals such as millet and sorghum. However, there is a lack of comprehensive compositional data regarding the nutrient content of these indigenous plants. In this report, we present nutritional data for 24 plant materials collected in Burkina Faso, including their content of amino acids, fatty acids, and minerals. Three plants contained 20 to 37% protein (on a dry weight basis): Vigna sp., Hibiscus esculentus, and Parkiia biglobosa. Relative to a WHO protein standard, three plants scored relatively high: Voadzeiia subterranea, Pennisetum americana, and Bixa orellana. Plants which contained large amounts of the essential fatty acids linoleic or alpha-linolenic acid were Vigna sp., Hibiscus esculentus seeds, Parkiia biglobosa seeds, and Vitex doniana fruit. Three plants were rich in iron: Adansonia digitata, Bixa orellana, and Xylopia sp. The fruit and seeds of Hibiscus esculentus were an excellent source of zinc. The plant foods with the highest calcium content were Adansonia digitata leaves, Hibiscus sp., and Bombax costatum. These data show that in terms of both quality and quantity there are numerous spontaneous desert plants that can serve as significant sources of essential amino acids, essential fatty acids and trace minerals for populations living in the western Sahel.
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