Nutritional Composition, Antioxidant Activity, and Phytochemical Analysis of Three Commonly Consumed Wild Edible Plants in Dibatie District, Western Ethiopia

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Abstract
Background: Wild edible plants supplement households′ food supply as seasonal or emergency foods in different communities of Ethiopia. However, local people consume them without considering their nutritional values. Objective: This study is aimed at evaluating the nutritional value, antinutritional, antioxidant, and phytochemical profiles of Saba comorensis (Bojer ex A.DC.) Pichon fruits, Syzygium guineense (Wild.) DC. subsp. macrocarpum (Engl.) F. White fruits, and Dioscorea praehensilis Benth. tubers consumed in Dibatie district, western Ethiopia. Methods: Juices of edible plants were used to determine pH, acidity, and total soluble solid. Lyophilized powders were analyzed to determine vitamin C, proximate composition, minerals, antinutritional factors, antioxidant capacity, and phytoconstituents. Results: The S. comorensis fruits had the highest ( p < 0.05) acidity, vitamin C, and total soluble solid. The studied plants contained 2.50%–15.50% crude fiber, 0.75%–4.00% crude fat, 4.38%–10.50% crude protein, 59.63%–68.83% carbohydrate, and 267.75%–324.08 kcal/100 g energy. The studied plants had minerals like calcium (522.27–995.04 mg/100 g), iron (19.80–111.94 mg/100 g), magnesium (923.25–1592.18 mg/100 g), manganese (0.50–5.72 mg/100 g), potassium (591.69–1357.71 mg/100 g), sodium (0.60–17.17 mg/100 g), and zinc (1.00–1.74 mg/100 g). The tested plants had 65.11–70.67 mg/100 g phytates, 170.00–790.00 mg/100 g oxalates, and 196.51–11147.55 mg CE/100 g tannins. S. comorensis fruits showed substantial DPPH free radical scavenging activity with an IC 50 value of 0.07 mg/mL, because they were significantly ( p < 0.05) the highest in phenolics, flavonoids, and alkaloids. Conclusion: The investigated plants were rich suppliers of valuable macro‐ and micronutrients and phytochemicals, along with considerable antinutritional and antioxidant properties. Thus, they require special conservation and management measures for sustainable usage by the local communities and Ethiopian people as a whole.
Funding Information
  • Addis Ababa University (TR/039/2021)

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