Thesis Abstract

Abstract
Telfairia occidentalis, commonly known as fluted pumpkin, is a tropical vine grown in West Africa for its edible seeds and leaves. The seeds of Telfairia occidentalis are a rich source of essential nutrients, including proteins, fats, and minerals. While the major mineral elements in the seeds have been extensively studied, there is limited information on the minor mineral elements present. This study aimed to determine the concentration of minor mineral elements in Telfairia occidentalis seeds through various analytical techniques. The seeds were collected, cleaned, and ground into a fine powder for analysis. Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS) was employed to quantify the minor mineral elements such as zinc, copper, manganese, and iron in the seeds. The results indicated that Telfairia occidentalis seeds contained appreciable amounts of these minor mineral elements, with zinc having the highest concentration followed by iron, manganese, and copper. The concentrations of these minor mineral elements were found to be within safe limits for human consumption, indicating the seeds' potential as a nutritionally valuable food source. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was utilized to study the surface morphology of the seeds and to observe any mineral depositions on the seed surface. The SEM images revealed the presence of mineral particles on the seed surface, providing additional insights into the distribution of minor mineral elements in Telfairia occidentalis seeds. In conclusion, this study sheds light on the minor mineral element composition of Telfairia occidentalis seeds, highlighting their nutritional significance. The results contribute to the existing knowledge on the mineral content of this valuable food source and emphasize the importance of incorporating Telfairia occidentalis seeds into diets to enhance mineral intake. Future research could explore the bioavailability and health benefits of these minor mineral elements from Telfairia occidentalis seeds to further elucidate their nutritional impact. Overall, this study underscores the potential of Telfairia occidentalis seeds as a natural source of essential minerals that could contribute to addressing micro-nutrient deficiencies in populations relying on traditional diets.

Thesis Overview

1.1 Introduction

Vegetables are the edible parts of plant that are consumed wholly or in parts, raw or cooked as part of main dishes or salad (Asaolu et al, 2012). They are valued mainly for their carbohydrate, vitamins, protein, fats, and mineral contents which may be edible roots, stems, leaves, fruits or seed. Leafy vegetables are important items of the diet in many Nigerian homes and valuable sources of nutrients especially in rural areas where they contribute substantially to protein, mineral, vitamins, fiber and other nutrients which are usually in short supply in daily diets (Mosha and Gage, 1999). Although, there is low level of protein in vegetables, there is increasing awareness of the importance of vegetables, in maintaining health, particularly

where animal protein is scare (Baker and Griffin, 1997). According to Oke and Ojofeitimi (2004), vegetables contain low calories and negligible quantities of utilizable energy, hence are ideal for obese people who can satisfy their appetite without consuming much carbohydrate (Chionyedua and Anuoluwa, 2009). Nigeria is the largest country in West Africa, with an area of 928200km2 and a population of about 140million.

The coastal area is swampy and at sea level. This is adjoined by a rain forest zone along the southern part, where it is evergreen. In the Northern part it is the open grass land or savannah, where the grass is lush, but this area becomes more narrow towards the north, where there is shrub vegetation (Oke, 2004). There are two seasons, wet (rainy) and dry. The diet is largely vegetarian, roots and tubers being the staple in the south and cereals in the north.