Nutritional assay Pereskia spp.: unconventional vegetable

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Food Chemistry
• Botany

Background:

• Pereskia grandifolia Haworth (PGH) and Pereskia aculeata Miller (PAM) leaves are rich in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
• These leaves are valuable against protein and micronutrient deficiencies.
• Antinutritional factors in Pereskia leaves can hinder nutrient digestibility and bioavailability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the amino acid profile and chemical score of raw PGH and PAM leaves.
• To assess the impact of heating media and time on total dietary fiber, minerals, trypsin inhibition, oxalic acid, and tannins in PGH and PAM leaves.

Main Methods:

• Amino acid profiling and chemical scoring of raw leaves.
• Wet cooking of leaves with varying media and times.
• Quantification of total dietary fiber, minerals (iron, zinc), trypsin inhibition, oxalic acid, and tannins.

Main Results:

• PGH and PAM leaves exhibit similar amino acid profiles and total dietary fiber content.
• Heating PGH leaves reduced trypsin inhibition, particularly with wet cooking in initial minutes.
• Oxalic acid and tannins were prevalent in both species.
• Iron and zinc influenced tannin levels in PGH and PAM, respectively.
• Heat treatment showed high retention of antinutrients.

Conclusions:

• Heating PGH and PAM leaves affects their chemical composition and antinutrient levels.
• While some antinutrients decrease with heating, others like oxalic acid and tannins remain significant.
• Further research is needed to optimize processing for enhanced nutrient bioavailability from Pereskia leaves.