Asian Journal of Food Research and Nutrition

This study evaluated the proximate, mineral, vitamin and amino acid profile of the aerial parts of Leonurus cardiaca. The moisture content was evaluated through evaporation to dryness at 105°C in an oven to attain an unchanged weight. The ash, fibre, carbohydrate, and crude fat content were characterized using a Soxhlet machine based on standard methods while crude protein was characterized using the Kjeldahl method. Mineral and amino acid contents were evaluated adopting high performance liquid and gas chromatography. The Mean and Standard deviation of the moisture content was 16.51±0.12%, crude protein (22.00±0.11%), crude fat (12.61±0. 12%), crude fibre (9.11±0. 06%), ash content (4.12±0. 06%), and carbohydrate (35.65±.06%). The vitamin A concentration was 22.66±0.02mg/100 g, vitamin E (16.07±0.01 mg/100g), Vitamin C (51.22±0.02 mg/100g), vitamin E (16.07±0.01 mg/100g), niacin (B₃) (32.47±0.01 mg/100g), thiamine (B₁) (15.53±0.02 mg/100g), and vitamin B₅ (31.91±0.02 mg/100g). The sodium concentration was 38.68±0.31 mg/100g, potassium (598.10±0.04 mg/100g), magnesium (496.74±0.19 mg/100g), calcium (263.89±0.03 mg/100g), copper (1.32±0.11 mg/100g), iron (8.62±0.16 mg/100g), zinc (4.41±0.27 mg/100g), manganese (2.12±0.41 mg/100g), selenium (1.83±1.06 mg/100g), and phosphorus (104.09±3.02 mg/100g). The proximate, mineral, vitamin, and amino acid composition characterized showed Leonurus cardiaca, hence justifies consumption of its aerial parts as vegetable in Southern and Eastern Nigeria.