NUTRITIVE VALUE AND HAEMOLYTIC PROPERTIES (IN VITRO) OF THE LEAVES

Background: Vernonia amygdalina (Bitter leaf) is popularly consumed in many homes in Nigeria as a vegetable in soup preparation, while the infusion is used in folk medicine in the treatment of malaria fever. In this study, fresh leaves of Vernonia amygdalina were subjected to abrasion (to remove the bitter taste) as is normally done in soup preparation, subsequently the nutrient, anti-nutrient and zinc bioavailability of the processed and unprocessed leaf were determined. The heamolytic effect of the leaf infusion on human erythrocytes (Genotype-SS, AS, AA) was also determined. Result: The study revealed that Vernonia amygdalina leaf has high protein (33.3 %), fat (10.1 %), crude fibre (29.2%), ash (11.7%), mineral (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Zn & Fe), phytate (1015.4mg/100g) and tannin (0.6%) content, while it contain low cyanide (l.lmglkg). Abrasion of the leaf caused a significant decrease (P<0.05) in both the nutrient and antinutrient content of the leaf except in carbohydrate where there was a significant increase (P<0.05) and Mg where there was no significant change (P>0.05). The result of the calculated [Ca][phytate]/ [Zn] molar ratio (the best index for the prediction of Zn bioavailability) indicated that th