Evaluation Of Cytogenotoxic And Nutrient Composition Of Three Commonly Consumed Vegetables In South- Western Nigeria

Consumption of leafy vegetables provides health benefits but sometimes may turn out to be the cause of certain health problems. Thus, adequate toxicological screening is needed to ensure safety of their consumption. Aqueous extracts of Corchorus olitorius L., Celosia argentea L., and Ocimum gratissimum L. were evaluated for cyto-genotoxic effects on Allium cepa L. root cells using 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, 10.0, 25.0 and 50.0 part per thousand (ppt), each of the vegetable extracts. The levels of macronutrients (moisture, ash, protein, fibre, fat and carbohydrate) in the vegetables and some minerals (cadmium, copper, iron, lead, magnesium, nickel and zinc) of their aqueous extracts were determined. The carbohydrate values were in the order O. gratissimum > C. olitorius > C. argentea with 48.17% as the highest. The values obtained for ash, protein, fat, Mg and Zn contents were in the order C. argentea > C. olitorius > O. gratissimum , with the highest values of 19.98%, 30.79%,, 0.22% , 226.4 mg/L and 2.57mg/L, respectively obtained for C. argentea. The concentration of Cu and Pb were in the order of O.gratissium > C. argentea> C. olitorius with 0.67 and 0.21mg/L obtained for O.gratissium (P