In this study, the influence of potato cultivars Irga, Satina, Valfi, Blaue St. Galler and Highland Burgundy Red (HB Red), growth regulators: Bio-Algeen S‑90, Kelpak SL and Trifender WP, and the biostimulator Asahi SL on the health status of potato plants and tuber yield was investigated. The severity of late blight and early blight was estimated during the growing season. After harvest, potato tuber yield was determined according to size fractions. The applied treatments significantly reduced the severity of late blight in cv. Irga (Kelpak SL), Valfi (Bio-Algeen S-90, Kelpak SL, Trifender WP) and Blaue St. Galler (Trifender WP) in 2013. In 2015, the symptoms of early blight were significantly reduced in cv. Irga after the application of all tested bioregulators. HB Red was characterized by the best health status among the evaluated cultivars. Kelpak SL and Bio-Algeen S-90 increased the tuber yield of cvs. Irga and HB Red, respectively, in 2013, and Trifender WP increased the tuber yield of cv. Satina in 2014. In the first year of the study, the applied growth regulators and biostimulator significantly increased the percentage of medium-sized tubers of cv. Blaue St. Galler, and Bio-Algeen S-90 increased the percentage of medium-sized tubers of cv. HB Red.

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The Effect of Growth Regulators and a Biostimulator on the Health Status, Yield and Yield Components of Potatoes ( Solanum tuberosum L.)

Aim: This study assesses the phytochemical profiles, toxicity and anti-nutrient properties of two indigenous vegetables, Cleome gynandra and Solanum nigrum. Methodology: Aerial parts of S. nigrum and C. gynandra collected from wild populations were extracted in water and methanol solvents using the cold maceration procedure. Chemical tests to identify different phytochemicals and antinutrients were carried out using specified reagents. Toxicity of the plant extracts was tested using the Brine Shrimp (Artemia salina) lethality bioassay procedure. Results: Phytochemical tests indicated presence of alkaloids, steroids, flavonoids, cardiac glycosides, saponins, phenols and tannins in both S. nigrum and C. gynandra. Anthraquinones were only found in C. gynandra, whereas terpenoids and coumarin glycosides were found only in Original Research Article Sango et al.; BBJ, 13(3): 1-11, 2016; Article no.BBJ.25164 2 S. nigrum. The anti-nutrient levels in the vegetables were high; tannins (3.580 and 1.820 mg/ 100 g), oxalates (21.560 and 24.97±0.156 g/100 g), saponins (71 and 42%), alkaloids (15.160 and 3.44%) and phytates (0.099±0.046 and 0.250±0.013%) in S. nigrum and C. gynandra respectively. The Brine Shrimp LC50 values obtained were 0.67 and 1.84 mg/ml for methanol and water extracts of S. nigrum and 1.09 and 4.9 mg/ml for C. gynandra, respectively. Conclusion: The vegetables, C. gynandra and S. nigrum are rich sources of diverse phytochemicals. However, some phytochemicals are present in high levels and might act as anti nutritional factors interfering with absorption of food. C. gynandra is safe for consumption but S. nigrum contains some toxic phytochemicals and should not be taken regularly.

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Phytochemical, Anti-nutrients and Toxicity Evaluation of Cleome gynandra and Solanum nigrum: Common Indigenous Vegetables in Zimbabwe

The last decades, various research approaches have been undertaken worldwide for drug discoveries. Our study aimed to investigate medicinal plants of the Lekedi Park through a zoopharmacological and ethnopharmacological surveys on mandrills and on human population respectively from the Department of Lekoko.Data on feeding behaviour were collected on 57 mandrills, from Lekedi Park, using a 5-min focal sampling method for 17 months. The ethnopharmacological uses were carried out on the human population using semi-structured questionnaires and scientific databases. Data were evaluated statistically by using the index of Use value (UV) and informant consensus factor (Fic).The results showed that studied mandrills used about 147 plant species belonging to 48 botanical families. The Rubiaceae and Euphorbiaceae families were the most representative in the mandrill diet. Among plant organs eaten, some organs of plants such as bark or roots rich in non-nutritional compounds were occasionally used by mandrills, suggesting the involvement of a self-medication behavior in mandrill. Also, it appears that the plant selection would be mainly due to the availability, protein and sugar contents. Ethnopharmacological surveys show that among the 147 consumed by mandrills, 33% were used for medicinal purposes only, 41% as food and 11% were used as food and as medicine. The informant consensus factor values indicate that the medicinal plants are effective in treating certain diseases.Thus, the study of mandrill diets behaviour would be a potential approach for the drugs discovery against bacterial and parasitic affections.

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Study of the Mandrillus sphinx (Cercopithecoidea) diet behaviour from the Lekedi Park (South-East, Gabon) as a valuable approach for drugs discovery

Spices are prolific sources of phytochemicals of pharmaceutical and nutritional importance. They have been employed for centuries in the treatment of various maladies, in cuisines, and as inhibitors of oxidative degradation in foods. On this premise, a comparative assessment of the quantitative mineral composition, phytochemical and proximate constituents of Xylopia aethiopica (fruits), Piper guineense (seeds), and Rhaphiostylis beninensis (roots) was done using standard protocols. Subsequently, methanol extracts of the spices were subjected to Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis. Mineral analysis of the culinary spices revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in the spices' magnesium, zinc, iron, selenium, copper, calcium, manganese, molybdenum, potassium, and sodium contents. In the phytochemical analysis, flavonoids, phenols, and alkaloids (4.04%, 2.92%, 2.23%) predominate in X. aethiopica. Similarly, proximate analysis shows a preponderance of carbohydrates (81.24%) and proteins (4.83%) in R. beninensis and P. guineense respectively. However, values for the selenium (0.25 mg/L), saponin (0.23%), and moisture (0.71%) contents for R. beninensis were the lowest among the three spices. Results from the GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of thirteen, twelve, and thirteen phytoconstituents of X. aethiopica, P. guineense, and R. beninensis respectively. Prominent among them are hydrocarbons, acids, and esters with renowned biological attributes such as antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. These findings indicate that the spices are notable wellsprings of bioactive components and justify their plethoric applications in Nigeria. Therefore, they could serve as lead compounds in the search for natural ingredients for drugs and nutraceuticals formulation. 

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Evaluation of the mineral composition, phytochemical and proximate constituents of three culinary spices in Nigeria: a comparative study

The presence of anti-nutrients gives sesame seeds a bitter taste which may further reduce their acceptance for culinary purposes. This study investigated the effect of boiling, parboiling and roasting in improving the nutritional quality and mineral extractability of dehulled sesame seeds and their acceptance in soup preparation. Proximate analysis revealed that the boiled sesame seeds (BSS) exhibited significantly (p<0.05) higher ash (6.21%), crude fiber (8.10%) and moisture (5.20%) contents while roasted sesame seeds (RSS) exhibited the highest protein (30.63%) content. The processing methods were found highly effective in improving the calcium, manganese and magnesium contents of the seed. Parboiled sesame seeds (PSS) exhibited significantly (p<0.05) higher calcium (1515mg/100g) while BSS exhibited significantly (p<0.05) higher manganese (2.27mg/100g) and magnesium (602.05mg/100g) contents. Processing was effective in improving the HCl extractable calcium of the seeds while HCl extractable magnesium decreased upon processing. Processing was also effective in substantially reducing the phytate and oxalate to low levels from 13.47-9.63g/kg and 1.79-0.67mg/kg, respectively. Of the attempted treatments, roasting was the most effective in improving the acceptability of soups prepared from the seeds. Consequently, roasting of sesame seeds may be the best method for use in culinary purposes. 

Improvement of the Nutritional Quality and HCl Extractability of Minerals of Dehulled Sesame Seeds and their Acceptance for Culinary Purpose by Parboiling, Boiling and Roasting

Breeding for nutritional quality of food/feed crops had somewhat been neglected by plant breeders all through the years. The objectives had mainly been focused on disease resistance and yield. Current concerns about the global food security need to encompass the issue of breeding for nutritional quality of food plants. One of the issues that revolve around the nutritional quality is the presence of antinutrients. These substances reduce the bioavailability of nutrients such as proteins, vitamins and minerals which could result in malnutrition especially in developing countries. Designing breeding programmes for the enhancement of nutritional quality of food crops require information on the types and concentrations of these antinutrients in such crops. This study was thus initiated to obtain information on the concentrations of the antinutrients - cyanogenic glycosides, oxalates, phytic acids, tannins and alkaloids - of Annona muricata (a fruit), Corchorus olitorius (a vegetable/grain crop) and Pentaclethra macrophylla (a legume) which are common among the local people of South East of Nigeria. Results showed that mean contents of oxalate, phytic acid, tannins and alkaloids were within permissible limits while high contents of cyanogenic glycosides were observed in C. olitorius (0.551 ± 0.0165 mg/100 g) and P. macrophylla. Fermentation did not reduce the level in P. macrophylla. The values obtained in unfermented and fermented seeds were 0.577 ± 0.0004 mg/100 g and 0.575 ± 0.003 mg/100 g respectively. The results were discussed bearing in mind the need for plant breeders and nutritionists to design programmes that will balance the adverse and beneficial effects of these antinutrients since many of them have also been found to be pharmacologically beneficial.

	 

	Key words: Antinutritional, contents, breeding, quality.

Henry Okafor

Papers

Breeding for nutritional quality for Corchorus olitorius, Annona muricata and Pentaclethra macrophylla 1: A study of their antinutritional contents