21. Proximate nutritional, elemental and phytochemical analysis of selected wild edible plants of District Malakand, Pakistan
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Abstract
The objective of this survey was to examine the nutritional, elemental and phytochemical analyses of selected wild edible species of Disttrict Malakand Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The selected wild edible species Ammaranthus virdis, Chenopodium album, Malva neglecta, Nasturtium officinale and Rumex dentatus were collected from the study site and were subjected to nutritional, elemental and phytochemical analysis. The results of the present nutritional analysis of these selected wild edible species disclosed that these plants possess proteins, fats, fibers, carbohydrates and caloric energy. The Energy Dispersive X-Rays Analysis (EDX) analysis of powdered plants sample showed that these plants also possess the much needed and fundamental elements of human diet like carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, magnesium, sulfur, potassium, phosphorus, aluminium, calcium, silicon, copper, iron and chlorine. Through the qualitative phytochemical screening, it was noticed that, important phytochemical substances such as steroids, saponins, flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, glycosides and tannins were there in the methanolic extract of the plants. The study demonstrated that such wild edible plants are the inexpensive and rich source of essential and fundamental nutrients, elements and phytochemicals.
Keywords: Elemental analysis; Nutritional analysis; Pakistan; Wild edible plants