PAPER TITLE :CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIVE SIGNIFICANCE OF CEIBA PENTANDRA LEAVES

APPLIED TROPICAL AGRICULTURE | VOLUME 15 NUMBER 1 2010

Paper Details

  • Author(s) : A. A. IBITOYE
  • Abstract:

Ceiba pentandra leaves were harvested one week after new leaves emerged and four weeks after, from three locations
in Akure, southwestern Nigeria. The leaf samples were either sun-dried or parboiled before and grinding into powder
for analysis of proximate, mineral and some anti-nutritional contents on dry matter basis. Protein content ranged
from 14.35 to 31.90%; ash, 4.00 to 6.60%; fat 9.10 to 11.70%; fibre, 8.60 to 15.50% and carbohydrate, 43.34 to
54.75%. Mineral analysis (mg/100g) showed that sodium ranged from 54.0 to 100.2; potassium, 94.0 to 156.2;
calcium, 40.0 to 80.1; magnesium, 23.9 to 48.0; phosphorus 50.0 to 132.8; and nitrogen, 243.8 to 493.4. Antinutritional
analysis in (mg/100g) showed that tannin ranged from 0.25 to 0.49 to phytin from 0.55 to 0.89. The results
showed that the mineral contents were generally higher in the mature leaves than in the young leaves, while protein
content is higher in the young leaves than in the mature leaves. Tannin and phytin contents were generally low
ranging from 0.39 to 0.45 and 0.53 to 0.59 (mg/100g). C. pentandra can be a very good source of protein and
minerals and has potential as raw material for the production of animal feeds.