By Ngwa, Nkemjika Nnedinso
The nutrient potentials of Colocasia esculenta and Jatropha aconitifolia leaves
were determined. The leaves were collected from home garden of some staff in
University of Nigeria Nsukka, Enugu State, Nigeria. The leaves were cleaned and
analysed fresh for nutrient and antinutrient composition. The leaf extract were collected
and supplemented with rat chow for rat feeding. Twenty (20) female rats were divided
into 4 groups of rats each for a 28-days study period.One group was fed rat chow alone,
second chow supplemented with ferrous sulphate, the third group a combination of chow
and Jatropha aconitifolia and last group was fed rat chow in combination of Colocasia
esculenta extract. Anemia was induced in all the groups of rats for 7 days. Blood
samples were drawn at day 0- 22 from ocular vein with heparinized tube into heparinized
bottle for chemical analysis. The heparinized blood was centrifuged to obtain plasma for
determination of haemoglobin (HB) and red blood cell count (RBC). The serum was used
to determined the retinol, zinc, iron and ferritin. All the analysis were done using
standard techniques. Cyanide content (6.00mg and 17.00mg) of both leaves were below
toxic level (35.00mg).Oxalate (1.22g and 1.25g) were below the toxic limit
(2,20g/lOOg).The rats fed combination of chow and Jatropha aconitifolia extract had
comparable iron as those fed combination of ferrous sulphate and chow.However these
groups had an edge over the other two groups of rat in iron utilization. The rats fed
combination of chow and Colocasia esculenta extract diet had increased hematological
indices after induction of anemia. However, the increases were below normal values
(retinol 2.52pg/ml, ferritin 24.01ng/ml, iron 0.13mg/dl, zinc 0.13mg/dl and HB
13.77ddl). It was only in RBC that their value was higher than the normal range (7.05
lo6 celllpl of blood). However the values were much higher than those for rats fed rat
chow alone (p