Proximate and phyto-chemical composition of <i>Cassia tora</i> leaf meal

Abstract

Recently Phyto-chemical analysis, Proximate and mineral analysis of leaves of Cassia tora L. was conducted at Department of Pharmacognosy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto and National Institute for freshwater fisheries Research New Bussa, Niger State, Nigeria. The leaves were obtained from Rofia town in Niger State. The leaves were plucked from the stem and sun-dried for 3 days, ground using pestle and mortar, and sieved using 1.18mm laboratory sieve to remove the residues. The leaves samples contained tannin, saponin, steroids, terpenoids, carbohydrate, alkaloids, flavonoids and glycosides. Data obtained for proximate analysis showed moisture content was 3.45±0.5% ash content 11.04±0.04%, crude protein 28.52±0.52%, lipid 8.15±0.02%, crude fibre content 9.14±0.03% and nitrogen-free extract 39.69±1.09%. Results of the elemental analysis showed the leaves contain the following minerals (in mg/kg) Na 147.50±0.05, K 5033.33±0.03, Ca 2.18±0.01, Mg 0.18±0.01 and P 3.6±0.04. All these results indicate that the leaf of Cassia tora L. contains nutrients and mineral elements that may be useful in nutrition. It was recommended that further investigation on the awareness and utilization of Cassia tora leaf meal in fish feed; appropriate processing methods and potent means of removing the anti-nutritional factors should be carried out.