Proximate Based Comparative Assessment of Five Medicinal Plants to Meet the Challenges of Malnutrition

Aims: The present study aimed to assess the nutritional significance of some of the economically important medicinal plants species collected from Pakistan.

Study Design: The study was designed in randomized block design and each analysis was performed with three replicates.

Place and Duration of Study: Kohat University of Science and Technology, Kohat and duration of the study was ten months.

Methodology: Present study was conducted to determine the nutritional importance of medicinal plants viz. Achyranthes aspera, Xanthium strumarium, Albizzia lebbeck, Amaranthus cruentus and Calotropis procera. Proximate compositions of these plant species (moisture, ash, fats, fiber, alcohol soluble extractive (ASE), proteins, carbohydrates and energy value) were carried out using standard methods of food analysis.

Results: The mean moisture content ranged from 0.334% for X. strumarium to 8.18% for A. cruentus. X. strumarium was found highest in fats, fibers and ASE. Highest percentage of moisture (8.2%) and ash (15.9%) was found in A. cruentus. C. procera was identified as a good source of carbohydrates (67.3%) and energy value (301.9 kcal/100g). The ICP-OES analysis of the medicinal plants showed that A. lebbeck had significant concentrations of calcium while A. cruentus had highest concentration of iron, potassium, magnesium, manganese and phosphorous as compared to other medicinal plants. The heavy metals contents were either absent or negligible.

Conclusion: The present finding suggests that the selected medicinal plants have a promising potential to not only cure ailments but to maintain a healthy life.