Abstract

Quantitative determination of chemical and anti-nutrient content of six spices commonly consumed in the South East of Nigeria was carried out using standard methods. Results reveal that the chemical and anti-nutritional composition of these edible Nigerian spices, Gongronema latifolium, Piper guineense, Xylopia aethiopica , Monodora myristica, Allium sativum and Tetrapleura tetrapetra are rich in protein, fat, fiber, and carbohydrate in the range of 1.17 to 11.90%, 1.06 to 14.66%, 0.33 to 38.60% and 13.18 to 76.16% respectively. The mineral and vitamin content is equally high: Ca²⁺ 122 to 279 mg/100 g, Na⁺ 19.34 to 60 mg/100 g, K⁺ 99.1 to 620 mg/100 g,P 96 to 723.8 mg/100 g, Mg²⁺ 0.065 – 82 mg/100 g. Vitamin A content ranged between 7.09  to 21.29 u/100 g, while vitamin C and E between 2740 to 88600 u/100 g and 1.64 to 16.4 u/100 g respectively. Antinutrients present include alkaloids 1.22 to 9.40%, flavonoids 0.038 to 0.36%, saponins 0.14 to 1.70%, Steroid 3 × 10^-5  to 1.62%, HCN 5 ×10^-4 -2.04%, Tannin 0.06  to  6.10%, anthocyanins 0.16  to 0.21%. In conclusion, this study has shown that these spices have high nutritional content and low anti-nutritional content. The possible nutritional implications of these findings are discussed.

Key words: Herbs, relative humidity, cultural practice, curative, phytomedicine.