Nutritional Potential and Antnutritional Factors of Plectranthus edulis, Cocciniaabyssinica and Dioscoreaabyssinica Tubers: A Review

Abstract

In Ethiopia, root and tuber crops play a significant role for food and nutritional security by filling food shortage that might exist until harvest of major crops. The objective was to review the Plectranthus edulis, Cocciniaabyssinica and Dioscoreaabyssinica tubers which are indigenous crops to Ethiopia with good nutritional value and drought tolerance. Plectranthus edulis, Cocciniaabyssinica and Dioscoreaabyssinica are a good sources of carbohydrate, minerals and fiber. Little is known about the contribution of these crops to food and nutritional security, nutritional value and major limiting factors to their wider utilization in Ethiopia. These crops are generally regarded as poor man’s food and remain neglected compared to other food crops in human diet. The anti-nutritional factors available in these indigenous crops can be reduced by different processing methods like fermentation, boiling and cooking to tolerable level. The generated information will give insights for their development, promotion and wider utilization to support food insecurity crises and calorie gap for the fast growing population in Ethiopia. Generally, the Plectranthus edulis, Cocciniaabyssinica and Dioscoreaabyssinica tubers crop have appreciable nutritional composition of foods, minerals, ant nutritional factors and they are also used to maintain the fractured bone of human being. Thus, the crops should be included in people’s daily diet and solve the food insecurity problems in the country. All the stakeholders should give due enphasis to these indegenous crops and process to different food products.