The Proximate and Elemental Analysis of some Leafy Vegetables Grown in Minna and Environs

Four different leafy vegetables grown and commonly consumed in Minna and it’s environ was analysed with a view to determine the nutrient content of these vegetables. The vegetables are water leaf ( Talinum triangulare), fluted pumpkin ( Telferia occidentalis), bitter leaf ( Vernonia amygdalina) and drumstick ( Moringa oleifera).Among the four leafy vegetables, Talinum triangulare contains the highest amount moisture (91.6%), Vernonia had the highest ash and lipid content (2.5%) and (0.7%) respectively. Moringa had the highest amount of protein (2.9%). It is also the richest source of sodium while Telfeiria had the highest K^+ ion value. The results obtained in this work clearly indicates that the four leafy vegetables are cheap and readily available source of the nutrients.