Evaluation of Selected Novel Delicacies of Wild Plants Using Wistar Rats: An Insight into Nutritional Quality

Abstract

The quest to improving the nutritional quality of a growing population is critical. Nutritional quality is lacking in terms of which vegetable will yield the desired nutrient. This research investigates the nutritional quality of some wild edible vegetables and their effect on rats. Four different delicacies were prepared with two novel vegetables - Adenia cissampeloides (ACD) and Arthropteris palisoti (APD) plants. The mineral and vitam profiles in these vegetables were determined using standard methods. Twenty four weanling rats with weight ranging from - 43.99 to 81.49 g, were randomly designated into four groups (n = 6). Two groups of the experimental rats were fed with the formulated experimental diets, while the other two groups were fed with protein-free (casein) and basal diets. Carbohydrate, protein, vitamins C and E were significant at p < 0.05 in the two wild vegetables; the mineral composition showed significance at p < 0.05 for delicacies with low Na+ content while Ca2+ concentration was significantly high in ACD and APD. Mg2+ was high in ACD while Phosphorus concentration was high in APD. The ACD-fed rats had a higher value (2.37 ± 0.01 %) compared to APD (2.18 ± 0.01). The reference group consumed more food (97.06 ± 14.70 g) followed by the basal group (88.98 ± 10.61), ACD (43.89 ± 14.34), and APD (42.02 ± 7.98), respectively. There was no significant differences (p ˃ 0.05) observed in the body weight changes, protein efficiency ratio, net protein utilization, net protein retention, true digestibility, fecal and carcass protein levels in all the groups. Findings suggest that nutrients in these vegetables are of good quality to benefit the user hence it is recommended in routine diet preparations.