ABSTRACT

Altemanthera brasiliana is a medicinal plant which has been reported to have many health benefits. In the present study, the qualitative phytochemical screening ofthe methanol extracts of A. brasiliana leaf revealed the presence of alkaloids, saponins, flavanoids, phytsterols and phenols, tannins. (The shade dried leaf powder and) of fresh leaf sample were subjected to elemental and proximate analysis. The proximate compositions were found to be as follows:- moisture (70%), carbohydrate (9.5 %), crude protein content was (4.3 %), crude fat (0.4 %) and the energy or calorific value to be 58.8 KcaL/lOOg. The elemental composition content of the leaf powder, dried carbon (384.7 mg/g), hydrogen (59.2 mg/g), nitrogen (47.8 mg/g) and sulfur (6.6 mg/g) and quantity present was found using CHNS analyzer and the corresponding values were obtain. The other elements such as calcium (Ca), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and sodium (Na) were also found in the leaf of A. brasiliana and were detected using Atomic Emission Spectrometer (AES) and the corresponding values obtained were 18 mg/g, 21.1 mg/g, 9.1 mg/g and 1.4 mg/g; 0.0 1999 mg/g, 0.28727 mg/g and 0.94332 mg/g respectively. The nutritional and anti-nutritional assessment ofthe sample was also made. The nutritional assessment was carried out and the result obtained was reducing sugar (81.07), total amino acid (0.031), flavonoids (0.13), vitamin C (0.0319) while the anti-nutritional evaluation was found to be oxalate content (0.12) pytate content (0.63) and cyanide 0.71. Altemanthera brasiliana can be considered as a potential candidate for fodder addictive and the anti-nutritional assessment shows that it poses no threat if consumed.