Assessment of Pre-Treatment Effects on Nutritional Contents of “Nyama Asabo” ( diplazium esculentum ): A Traditional Vegetable in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Dr. Okon Thompson Umoh Dr. Catherine Archibong; George; Williams Kennedy

doi:10.56201/ijaes.vol.11.no12.2025.pg186.201

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Assessment of Pre-Treatment Effects on Nutritional Contents of “Nyama Asabo” ( diplazium esculentum ): A Traditional Vegetable in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Dr. Okon Thompson Umoh Dr. Catherine Archibong, George, Williams Kennedy

Abstract

This study assessed the effects of different pretreatment methods on the proximate, mineral and vitamin composition of “Nyama Asabo” (Diplazium esculentum) to identify methods that maintain nutritional quality during processing. Fresh leaves (300 g each) were subjected to oven drying at 60°C, steam blanching at 70°C for 2 minutes, hot water blanching at 70°C for 2 minutes and hot water blanching with 2.5% sodium bicarbonate at 70°C for 2 minutes, with fresh leaves serving as control. Proximate composition included moisture, protein, fat, ash, crude fiber, carbohydrate and energy, while mineral content comprised phosphorus, potassium, iron, magnesium, sodium and calcium. Vitamins A, B1, B2, C and E were also measured. Moisture decreased across all treatments, with oven-dried and steam-blanched leaves retaining higher protein, carbohydrate and energy levels. Mineral content was best preserved in steam-blanched samples, while sodium bicarbonate-assisted blanching showed lower retention. Water-soluble vitamins declined under all treatments, but steam blanching maintained higher levels of vitamins A, B1, B2, C and E. Heat and water exposure affected nutrient retention, with minimal water contact reducing losses. The results indicate that steam blanching effectively maintains macronutrient, mineral and vitamin content in Diplazium esculentum, supporting its use in household and small-scale processing to improve dietary quality. The researchers recommended that steam blanching should be used as the preferred pretreatment to preserve nutrients. Hot water blanching and chemical-assisted treatments should be minimized or optimized to reduce losses of water-soluble vitamins and minerals. Oven drying can be applied selectively to concentrate macronutrients, with controlled temperature to limit degradation of sensitive vitamins.

Keywords

Diplazium esculentumpretreatmentproximate compositionmineral contentvitaminsnutritional quality

References

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Assessment of Pre-Treatment Effects on Nutritional Contents of “Nyama Asabo” ( diplazium esculentum ): A Traditional Vegetable in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Abstract

Keywords

References

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