Nutritional value of traditional leafy vegetables in Kwa-Zulu Natal

Abstract

Leafy vegetables provide valuable nutrients to humans. Indigenous or traditional vegetables are rapidly being replaced by exotic plants. These vegetables are often costly and not easily available to communities. This study was undertaken to determine the nutritional composition of the leaves of twenty traditional leafy vegetables namely Solanum nigrum, Physalis viscosa, Cucumis metuliferus, Momordica balsamina, Amaranthus spinosus, Amaranthus hybridus, Amaranthus dubius, Asystasia gangetica, Justicia flava, Emex australis, Oxygonum sinuatum, Bidens pilosa, Cleome monophylla, Portulaca oleracea, Wahlenbergia undulata, Senna occidentalis, Chenopodium album, Ceratotheca triloba, Galinsoga parviflora and Centella asiatica from different locations in Kwa-Zulu Natal. The leafy vegetables were analysed for protein, moisture, fat, fibre, carbohydrates, ash, energy values and nutritionally valuable mineral elements (Ca, P, Na, Zn, Mg, Mn and Fe).