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Chemical, nutrient and anti- nutrient compositions, elemental analysis and toxicity potentials of bipinnate and
unipinnate leaflets of Nephrolepis exaltata were determined, evaluated separately and compared the nutritious
potentials between the two types of leaflets statistically. Fresh, healthy, matured leaflets were collected from the
two frond types, washed, air dried in the laboratory, ground and analyzed for proximate analysis, elemental
compositions, dry matter, ascorbic acid, oxalate, phytate and cyanide contents in triplicate. The results of the
proximate analysis showed protein (9.45±0.21, 12.47±0.08%), crude fibre (0.57±0.32, 0.47±0.30%), fat
(0.47±0.40, 0.54±0.41%), ash (0.87±0.02, 0.93±0.11%), moisture (82.65±0.04, 78.50±0.05%), carbohydrate
(5.98±0.16, 7.08±0.18%); dry matter (17.53±0.51, 21.50±0.72 g/100 g) and ascorbic acid (52.80±0.89,
69.96±0.01 mg/100 g) of bipinnate and unipinnate leaflets respectively. The result showed that the leaflets
contains mineral elements such as potassium, sodium, calcium, iron, zinc, cadmium, lead, magnesium,
manganese, copper, chromium and nickel; cyanide (0.12, 0.53) mg/100 g, oxalate (0.02, 0.02 mg/100 g) but
phytate and arsenium were not detected from both bipinnate and unipinnate leaflets respectively. The cyanide
and oxalate contents of both leaflets are very low and fall within the safe and acceptable limits as recommended
by World Health Organization. Thus, they are potential good sources of dietary energy, protein, ascorbic acid
and mineral contents in livestock diet. Unipinnate leaflets have significantly higher values (p<0.05) in most of
the nutrients, therefore it is more nutritious.
Keywords: Leaflets, livestock feed, Nephrolepis exaltata, proximate analysis, toxicants