Nutritional and Functional Properties of Four Traditional Mucilaginous Vegetables used by Rural Populations in Benin Republic

Child malnutrition is one of the public health problems. Unfortunately, some of our vegetables such as  Adansonia digitata,  Bombax brevicuspe, Ceiba pentandra and Grewia venusta, with important nutritional value, are neglected. To assess the nutritional value of these vegetables, their protein, lipid, fibre and mineral content as well as polyphenols have been determined using reference methods as per AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists). The results showed that the leaves of A. digitata, B. brevicuspe, C. pentandra and the flower buds of G. venusta have a protein content from 17.19 g/100g; 19.84 g/100g; 9.26 g/100g; 13.01 g/100g respectively. Their lipid content is respectively 1.03 g/100g; 1.71 g/100g; 2.75 g/100g; 0.12 g/100g and their fibre content varies from 9.42 to 24.95 g/100g. These plants are also rich in iron, calcium, magnesium and vitamin C. In addition, the polyphenol content of these plants shows that they are important in the prevention of certain diseases. Given the different nutritional potential of each of these plants, it would be useful to popularize them in order to contribute to improving the quality of the food consumed by the population.