Nutrient analyses of uncultivated vegetation in Burkina Faso, West Africa

In this study, samples of edible uncultivated vegetation were collected and classified from four distinct agricultural regions of Burkina Faso. The samples were analyzed for crude protein (total nitrogen), amino-acid profile, crude fat (ether extract), moisture, and ash. Carbohydrate and energy values were calculated. The results of the proximate analyses on a dry weight basis were 23% crude protein, 2% fat, 11% ash, 56% carbohydrate, and 8% moisture. The mean energy value of a 100 gram sample was 270 kcal. The amino acid analyses showed comparable levels of the amino acids as cultivated green vegetation. Further research is needed on the digestibility and bioavailability of the nutrients in order to assess the nutritional contribution of these transitional food plants. (Author abstract, from PN-ABK-546)