Proximate and Nutrient Analysis of Selected Medicinal Plants of Tank and South Waziristan Area of Pakistan

: Inhabitants of Tank and South Waziristan area of Pakistan are facing acute shortage of medicines and food. Purpose of this study was to evaluate the medicinal plants of the area for their nutrient and medicinal values and to recommend their preservation/propagation for medicinal and/or food purposes. The plants investigated were Alhagi maurorum, Datura alba, Chenopodium album, Tecomella undulata, Withania coagulans and Berberis lycium. The proximate parameters like protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrates, moisture contents, ash and energy values were obtained using Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) methods. Macronutrients (Ca, Mg, Na and K) and micronutrients (Fe, Cu, Zn, Cr, Cd, Pb and Ni) were analyzed by employing Atomic Absorption spectrophotometer. The study showed that Datura album has higher nutrient value than Withania coagulans and there exist a significant correlation among the results. Further, the plants were found to be useful for medicine and food purpose. agent and hypertensive and is rich in iron severe side effects and affecting the ecology [1].

Market is full of synthetic drugs having high prices, immobilizing agent and hypertensive and is rich in iron severe side effects and affecting the ecology [1].
contents [25][26][27][28].Tecomella undulata has antifungal and Whereas, the medicinal plants and the drugs derived from antitermite, analgesic and anti-inflammatory property.It is them are cheaper in cost, have lesser side effects and used for the cure of syphilis, eczema and relaxant, cardio hence popular among the people [2].According to a tonic and chloretic activities.Its leaves have oleanolic survey, 75-80% of the world's population relies over such acid, ursolic acid and betulinic acid, compounds that are plants as they are famous for healing several diseases and strong in prohibiting HIV [29][30][31].Traditionally, Alhagi are considered as a healthy source for life [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15].Though, maurorum is used for gastrointestinal disorders, gastric Pakistan has biodiversity in climate and in geographical ulcer and rheumatism [32][33][34][35][36][37].Withania coagulans is used situation and has valuable medicinal plants heritage, but for treatment of diabetes mellitus and have antibacterial its flora is neither properly explored for medicinal point of antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antitumor cardiovascular view nor for food value; in spite of the facts that medicinal activity [28; 38-44].Berberis lyceum is well known for its plants are considered to be mostly rich in nutrients [16-anti-inflammatory and immune-potentiating property each plant sample was carried out thrice for each Specimen of each plant was deposited in the Herbarium of parameter and the mean, standard deviation and standard Botany Department, Peshawar University, Peshawar, error were calculated.Inter-element correlation was KPK, Pakistan.The collected plant species, their family, performed by using Statistical Package for Social Sciences botanical and local names are listed in Table 1.
Proximate and Chemical Analysis: Each collected plant RESULTS AND DISCUSSION sample was dried under the shade and was finely ground using an electric grinding machine (Model MX 491N, The proximate compositions and calorific values National) to raw flour separately.The analysis was then calculated over dry weight of the samples are displayed in made using standard techniques provided by Association Table 2.The moisture contents of the samples were 5.55% of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) [48].
in Berberis lycium and 14.22% in Datura alba.The moisture contents were determined by drying Carbohydrates contents were highest among all the sample at 105°C in the oven up to constant weight.
the investigated parameters and were from 32.35%The crude protein value of the sample was assessed by (Withania coagulans) to 92.65% (Chenopodium album) determining total organic nitrogen using Micro-Kjeldahl's (Table 2).The low concentration of crude fat and ash was apparatus [49].The crude lipids were extracted in recorded in Tecomella undulata and in Withania petroleum ether at 40-60°C, using Sox-let apparatus and coagulans; while the high contents were in Datura alba then evaporating the solvent up to dryness using and Chenopodium album (Table 2).High value of protein rot-evaporator.For the estimation of the fiber contents, and fiber were found in Tecomella undulata (18.32%) and the dry outcome of lipid estimation was ignited and the Chenopodium album (15.21%), while the low contents ash contents were determined and taken as equivalent to were in Withania coagulans (4.51%) in Alhagi maurorum fiber contents [2].Carbohydrate contents of each sample (3.33%).The highest calorific value was recorded in were calculated using the difference method as stated Berberis lyceum (485.70Kcal/100g) followed by below: Chenopodium album (420.92Kcal/100g) and Withania Carbohydrate (%) = 100-(moisture (%) + protein be a good source of carbohydrates and to some extent of percentage (%) + lipid (%) + ash contents (%)) protein.The values obtained for all investigated Whereas, the energy values of each sample was Microsoft Encarta Premium DVD 2009.determined by using the following formula.
Elemental analysis of above six medicinal plants K calories/100 gm = 9 (crude fats (%)) + 4 micronutrients (Table 4).In case of macronutrients, out of (carbohydrates (%) + proteins (%)) all six reported species, Datura alba showed highest Elemental Analysis: The plant was ignited to ash and the (1321 mg/Kg) stood lowest.Similarly, highest ash was dissolved in HCl to bring the ash in solution concentration of Mg (45460 mg/Kg), K (14991 mg/Kg) and form.The macro-and micronutrients were then determined Na (895 mg/Kg) were found to be in Chenopodium album, by using single beam atomic absorption spectrometer Alhagi maurorum and in Berberis lyceum, respectively, provided by Perkin Elmer; USA.
while the lowest in Alhagi maurorum (1292 mg/Kg), coagulans (261.33 Kcal/100g).The samples were found to parameters are in agreement with the values recorded in showed significant variation among macro-and Ca contents (6329 mg/Kg) while Tecomella undulata  Withania coagulans (2450 mg/Kg) and Tecomella relationship value of 0.91.It can be therefore strongly undulata (91 mg/Kg).The results obtained for concluded that the species having high contents of micronutrients analysis showed that the concentration carbohydrate will also have high protein value.On the level of Fe is extremely high in Alhagi maurorum as other hand, moderately negative correlation up to the compared to Tecomella undulate.In case of Cu, it was extent of 0.57 was observed between fat and energy highest in Tecomella undulata followed by Alhagi (Table 5).maurorum.Zn contents were highest in Datura alba (95.8 mg/Kg), followed by Withania coagulans (40.Berberis lyceum and Datura alba had highest negligible (Table 3) [28].
carbohydrates contents among the investigated plants.We have also determined moisture, ash, protein, fat, The low contents of crude fat and ash were in Tecomella fiber, carbohydrates contents and energy value of the undulata (2.52%), Withania coagulans (2.32%); Datura investigated species.We simply calculated the bi-variable alba (16.49%) and in Chenopodium album (21.15%).correlation co-efficient using the average for a replication The high value of protein and fiber were in Chenopodium of three observations (Table 3).We have tried to develop album (15.21%) and in Tecomella undulata (18.32%) relationship between significance and non-significance while the low contents were in Withania coagulans value.It has been observed that there exists very strong (4.51%) and in Alhagi maurorum (3.33%).The highest correlation between carbohydrates and protein with a calorific value was recorded in Berberis lyceum [45].24].On the other hand the dwellers are victim of The berbamine inhibits hepato-carcinogenesis and malnutrition and facing tremendous problems due to possesses anticancer activity [46, 47].economic position of people, non-availability of standard drugs and food stuff in the area.MATERIALS AND METHODS The prevailing situation has provoked us to analyze the bioactive plants with reference to micro and Plants Collection: The plants were collected from Tank macronutrients and their food values.The following and South Waziristan region of Khyber Pukhtoon Khawa plants were selected for analysis based over their utility province, Pakistan in March-May 2008 and were Chenopodium album is antipyretic, antinociceptic, sperm identified by Prof. Dr. Muqarab Shah, Chairman, Statistical Analysis: Proximate and elemental analysis of Department of Botany Hazara University, Mansehra.

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CONCLUSION mg/Kg) and Berberis lycium (25.5 mg/Kg), which is in the expected range (25-150 mg/Kg) [50].The other three Six medicinal plants Alhagi maurorum, Datura alba, species (Alhagi maurorum, Chenopodium album and Chenopodium album, Tecomella undulata, Withania Tecomella undulata) had below the stated range.The coagulans and Berberis lyceum were investigated for contents of Cr were below the toxic (10 mg/Kg) level in all their proximate analysis.The obtained results showed the species while the contents of Cd, Pb and Ni were

Table 1 :
Species collected for study with local name and families.

Table 2 :
Nutritional values of selected medicinal plant species*

Table 3 :
Correlation matrix of proximate parameters

Table 4 :
Concentration of Macro and Micro Nutrients of selected medicinal plant species in ppm (1ppm = 1mg)