Author(s)

Clementina Chekwube Ugbaja¹, Oluwasegun Olamide Fawibe^1*, Abiodun Sunday Oyelakin¹, Idris Olatoye Fadimu², Abiodun Akeem Ajiboye¹, David Adejare Agboola¹

¹Department of Pure and Applied Botany, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria.
²Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Federal University Oye Ekiti, Oye, Nigeria.

The phytochemical and nutritional composition of Trichosanthes cucumerina L. an underutilized vegetable used as substitute for Solanaceous tomatoes by rural dwellers was examined in comparison with majorly cultivated tomato cultivars in Nigeria (Roma VF and Ibadan local). The fruit pulp of T. cucumerina was higher in carotenoid (2053.33 mg/100g), flavonoid (861.67 mg/100g), cardiac glycoside (11.67 mg/100g), alkaloids (93.33 mg/100g), lycopene (118.5 μg/100g), tannin (555.00 mg/100g), oxalate (2.55 mg/100g) and quercetin (5.25 mg/100g) than Roma VF and Ibadan local. However, Roma VF had the highest concentration of saponin (66.67 mg/100g) but there was no significant difference in steroid among the fruits. The Vitamins A, E and C contents of T. cucumerina (5346 μg/100g, 6.23 μg/100g and 25.33 μg/100g) were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those in S. lycopersicum. T. cucumerina had the highest values of crude protein and crude lipid (1.97% and 0.40%). The fruit pulp of T. cucumerina also had the highest ash and total carbohydrate contents (1.63% and 16.50%). Roma VF was significantly higher in crude fibre and moisture contents (1.77% and 89.40%) than other vegetables investigated. All the evaluated mineral elements (Na, K, Ca Mg, Zn, Fe, Mn, P and S) in T. cucumerina compared favourably with S. lycopersicum cultivars. It was observed that T. cucumerina pulp contained an appreciable number of nutrients and secondary metabolites which qualify it as a good substitute to S.lycopersicum.

Underutilized Vegetable, Comparison, Phytochemical, Nutrition, Nigeria

Ugbaja, C. , Fawibe, O. , Oyelakin, A. , Fadimu, I. , Ajiboye, A. and Agboola, D. (2017) Comparative Phytochemical and Nutritional Composition of Trichosanthes cucumerina (L.) and Some Solanum lycopersicum (L.) Cultivars in Nigeria. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 8, 297-309. doi: 10.4236/ajps.2017.82021.