Assessment of Nutritive and Anti-Nutritive Composition of Ocimum gratissimum (Scent) Leaves
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.66920/pjn.2026.11.18Keywords:
Health risks, healthy diet, human nutrition, leafy vegetables, Ocimum gratissimumAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the nutritive composition and anti-nutritional factors of Ocimum gratissimum (scent leaf) to assess its nutritional quality and potential health implications when consumed as a vegetable.
Materials and Methods: Fresh leaves of Ocimum gratissimum were analyzed using standard analytical procedures to determine their proximate composition, mineral content and anti-nutritional constituents, including oxalate, nitrate and cyanide.
Results: The proximate analysis revealed that Ocimum gratissimum leaves contained 77.70% moisture, 3.14% ash, 4.09% crude fat, 5.36% crude protein, 5.48% crude fibre, 4.23% carbohydrate and an energy value of 314.36 kJ. Mineral analysis showed calcium and magnesium contents of 15.00 mg/100 g and 23.00 mg/100 g, respectively. The low sodium-to-potassium (Na/K) ratio suggests that consumption of the leaves may not predispose individuals to hypertension. Furthermore, the levels of oxalate, nitrate and cyanide were found to be below the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended limits.
Conclusion: The findings indicate that Ocimum gratissimum leaves are a nutritionally valuable vegetable with low levels of anti-nutritional factors. The consumption of scent leaf is therefore unlikely to pose health risks and may contribute beneficially to dietary mineral and nutrient intake.
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