Health & Environmental Research Online (HERO)


Print Feedback Export to File
8158209 
Journal Article 
Nutritional and antinutritional characterization of two wild yam species from abakaliki, southeast nigeria 
Afiukwa, CA; Ogah, O; Okechukwu, PC; Oguguo, JO; Ali, FU; Emmanuel, C 
2013 
0 
Research Journal of Pharmaceutical, Biological and Chemical Sciences
ISSN: 0975-8585 
4 
2 
840-848 
English 
The nutritional and antinutritional characterization of the two wild yam varieties, known as okpura and ighobe in the local language of Ikwo people in Abakaliki, Nigeria, were analysed. Protein was higher in Ighobe (3.37%) than okpura (2.21%). Carbohydrate was also higher in okpura (85.16%) than ighobe (78.71%). The crude fibre contents of okpura and Ighobe were 3.56% and 1.52% respectively. The fat contents of the two wild yam species were found to be 6.01% (okpura) and 13.03% (ighobe). Okpura was higher in K (145.33), Na (5.40), Mg (9.47) and Mn (0.032) while ighobe was higher in Ca (56.11) all in mg/100g. The concentrations of three anti-oxidant vitamins (A, C and E) and two B vitamins (Thiamine and Niacin) in the wild yam species were also determined. The obtained concentrations of the anti-oxidant vitamins were respectively 1.75 mg/100g in okpura and 1.54 mg/100g in ighobe, 0.99 mg/100g in okpura and 0.98 mg/100g in ighobe, and 3.93 IU/100g (2.632 mg/100g) in okpura and 2.50 IU/100g (1.674 mg/100g) in ighobe, while thiamine and niacin were respectively 0.11 mg/100g in okpura and 0.15 mg/100g in ighobe and 0.82 mg/100g in okpura and 0.98 mg/100g in ighobe. The concentrations of alkaloids, saponins, tannin, HCN and oxalate differed significantly between the yam species (P<0.05), while flavonoids, phenols and phytate did not show significant variations. The results of this study revealed that the wild yam species are good nutritionally, containing proximate components, minerals and vitamins in amounts comparable to cultivated species in Nigeria. However, they have high contents of phytochemicals most of which are anti-nutritional substances, but these are significantly reduced during cooking and cannot prevent their full utilization as food sources. Thus, the rural poor in Abakaliki area of Nigeria who use these wild yam species as alternative food sources are not at any special health risk. 
Abakaliki and rural poor; Antinutrients; Nutrients; Wild yams