DETERMINATION OF MINOR MINERAL ELEMENTS IN Telfairia Occidentalis SEEDS

DETERMINATION OF MINOR MINERAL ELEMENTS IN Telfairia Occidentalis SEEDS

The first chapter

INTRODUCTION

1.1 General Introduction

Vegetables are plant parts that are ingested whole or in pieces, raw or cooked, as part of main courses or salad (Asaolu et al, 2012). They are mostly appreciated for the carbohydrate, vitamin, protein, fat, and mineral content of their edible roots, stems, leaves, fruits, and seeds. Leafy vegetables are staples in many Nigerian households and vital sources of nutrition, particularly in rural regions, where they contribute significantly to protein, minerals, vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients that are often in low supply in daily diets (Mosha and Gage, 1999). Despite the low protein content of vegetables, there is growing recognition of their usefulness in preserving health, particularly in children.

where there is a scarcity of animal protein (Baker and Griffin, 1997). Vegetables, according to Oke and Ojofeitimi (2004), have minimal calories and small amounts of utilizable energy, making them excellent for obese persons who want to fulfill their appetite without ingesting a lot of carbohydrate (Chionyedua and Anuoluwa, 2009). Nigeria is the largest country in West Africa, covering an area of 928200km2 and home to over 140 million people.

The surrounding area is muddy and near sea level. This is bordered to the south by a rain forest zone, which is evergreen. The northern section is broad grassland or savannah, with luxuriant grass, however this area gets increasingly limited towards the north, where shrub vegetation grows (Oke, 2004). There are two seasons: wet and dry. The diet is mostly vegetarian, with roots and tubers dominating in the south and grains dominating in the north.