SOME MINERAL COMPOSITION OF WATERLEAF (Talinum

triangulare) CULTIVATED IN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION,

WARRI
BY
OLADELE BUCKOLA
MATRIC. No: FOE/2018/2019/257190
•  
COURSE CODE: SED 407
COURSE TITLE: SEMINAR

BEING A SEMINAR PAPER PRESENTED TO DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE EDUCATION, IN

PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF B.Sc. (Ed) IN
BIOLOGY EDUCATION, DELTA STATE UNIVERSITY, ABRAKA

JULY, 2022

•  
INTRODUCTION
The term vegetable is generally described as the edible plant part which may be
regularly or culturally consumed raw or cooked as unsweetened spiced or salted.
Fresh vegetables are important sources of nourishment and a vital ingredient in
healthy and balanced diets.
Fresh vegetables are highly recommended in any diet virtually without
quantitative restriction and the roles of vegetables in maintenance of good health
are well known (Osuagwe, 2008).
Green leafy vegetables form an indispensable constituent of diet in Africa
generally and west Africa in particular.
Water leaf, Talinum triangulare is an erect,glabrous perennial herb with stem and
leaves succulent but roots swollen and fleshy. It is eaten as a vegetable throughout
the tropical regions, including many West and Central Africa countries
INTRODUCTION CONTD.,
It is well cultivated in Nigeria and Cameroon by seedling and
cuttings.
During raining season the vegetable blooms on abandoned/bare farm
land and as undergrowths.
It is consumed as a vegetable and constituent of a sauce in Nigeria.
Nutritionally, waterleaf has been shown to possess the essential
nutrients like βcarotene, minerals (calcium, potassium and
magnesium), pectin, protein and vitamins (Amanabo & Emmanuel,
2014).
INTRODUCTION CONTD.,
Waterleaf has been also discovered for the management of

cardiovascular diseases like stroke, obesity, etc (Ezekwe, Besong,

Igbokwe & Ezekwe, 2002)

INTRODUCTION CONTD.,

Plate 1. Waterleaf (Talinum triangulare)

Statement of the problem
Waterleaf is a highly perishable vegetable and it is susceptible to deterioration due

to its high moisture content which consequently leads to waste as a result of lack

of efficient preservation techniques.

Therefore, drying is one of the processing methods that give products to have

increased shelf lives which is achieved by reducing the moisture content present

in the food product, such as fruit and vegetable to a level where microbial growth

will be inhibited.
Purpose of the Study

This research is aimed at studying minerals composition of Water leaf (Talinum

triangulare) in College of Education, Warri.

Objective of the Study

i) To determine the level of K, Ca, Mg, Na and Fe in the leaves of Talinum

triangulare in College of Education, Warri.

ii) To compare the mineral compositions with that of FAO/WHO standards

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Area of Study
The study area which is a Cottage Farm in College of Education is in Warri South
Local Government Area of Delta State.
It lies between Latitude 5° 3’5.11” N and Longitude 5°40’44.11” E, altitude 13.5-
17.5 m.
The area is in oil rich Niger Delta-Nigeria and as such, the major activities are
characterized by oil & gas exploration activities from Chevron Nigeria Limited,
Petrochemical refining from the Warri Refinery and Petrochemical Company, a
subsidiary of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and allied
companies
MATERIALS AND METHODS CONTD.,

Figure 1. Map of sampling location. Source: Google map.

Collection and Identification of Plant Samples

Fresh leaves of Talinum triangulare were harvested from a Cottage farm in

College of Education and identified.
The leaves were carefully examined and identified by a botanist at the department
of biology in College of Education, Warri.
Sample Preparation
The fresh leaves of harvested waterleaf were removed from the main stalk and
were sorted to remove the bruised ones.
The good shape leaves were thoroughly washed in water and drained using plastic
sieve and dried using air (at ambient temperature).
Determination of mineral contents
The method used to determine sodium and potassium contents of the dried

waterleaf samples was by flame photometry (AOAC, 2005).

The calcium, magnesium and iron contents were determined after wet digestion

with a mixture of nitric, sulphuric and hydrochloric acid using Atomic Absorption

Spectrophotometer (AAS ZA3000)

Results and Discussion

The mineral contents (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron) of the
dried waterleaf are as presented in Table 1.
 Table 1. Mineral compositions of Waterleaf (Talinum triangulare)

Mineral composition (mg/100g) Waterleaf (Talinum triangulare)

Calcium (Ca) 74.60 ± 0.05

Magnesium (Mg) 70.40 ± 0.02

Potasium (K) 156.60 ± 0.01

Sodium (Na) 80.60 ± 0.03

Iron (Fe) 0.65 ± 0,01

Values are in Mean ± Standard deviation of triplicate samples

Table 2. RDA Recommended Daily Intake of Minerals
Summary

The mineral contents (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron) of the
dried waterleaf was analysed using standard methods.
Calcium value of the dried waterleaf has an average of 74.60 ± 0.05 mg/100 g.
The calcium content in the vegetable was lower than the Recommended Daily
Intake (RDI) OF 1000 mg/100g (NAFDAC, 2010).
Magnesium has a mean value of 70.40 ± 0.02 mg/100g which is also lower than
the RDI of 310 mg/100g.
The potassium and sodium values of the dried vegetable have mean values of
156.60 ± 0.01mg/100g and 80.60 ± 0.03 mg/100 g respectively.
However both values are lower than the RDI. The mean value of iron is 0.65 ±
0,01 mg/100g. It is therefore, recommended that the consumption of these studied
vegetable could provide several essential health benefits and pharmacological
uses.
Conclusion
It could be concluded that waterleaf widely consumed in the College of Education,
Warri. have both nutritional and medicinal benefits to justify their wide consumption.
Recommendations
Waterleaf vegetables are good sources of mineral nutrients. It is recommended that
the consumption of these studied vegetable could provide several essential health
benefits and pharmacological uses.

Leafy vegetables may be rich in heavy metal accumulation depending on the soil
type and environmental activities around the farms where such vegetables are grown;

 it is therefore recommended that vegetables should not be grown in farms irrigated

with water contaminated with heavy metals and sewage water.
 
References

Akubugwo,I. E., Obasi,N.A., Chinyere, G. C. and Ugbogu, A. E.(2008). Mineral and

phytochemical Contents in Leaves of Amaranthus hybridus L. and Solanum nigrum L.
Subjected to Different Processing Methods. African Journal of Biochemistry Research,
2 (2).40-44.
Amanabo, M. and O.O. Emmanuel, (2014). Effect of cold storage on the
concentrations of some nutrients, anti-nutrients and toxic substances in the leaves of
Vernonia amygdalina (bitter leaf). Advances in Research, 2(1): 24-39.
AOAC (2005) Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Official Methods of
Analysis of theAssociation of Analytical Chemists, 15th ed., Arlington. 2005.
Abbaspour, N., Hurrell, R. and Kelishadi, R. (2014). Journal of Research in Medical
Sciences., 2014, 19(2), 164–174.
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