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Importance Of Utazi Gongronema Latifolium And Nchuanwu Ocimum Gratissium
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CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.0.1 Utazi (Gongronema
latifolium/ Bush buck), leaf vegetable and belong to the group of plants
known as spices. It is of the family ofASCLEPIADACEA genus GONGRONEMA
and species of LATIFOLIUM, and the vernacular name is BUSH BUCK while
the botanical nameGONGRONEMA lATIFOLIUM. Utazi is a climber with woody
hollow glaborous stems below and characterized by greenish yellow
flowers (Okolo 1987).
Gongronema latifolium, commonly called ‘utazi’
by the Igbo’s, the efik / ibibo people in South-eastern Nigeria call
the leave ‘utasi’ and the Yoruba people ‘arokeke’ or ‘madumaro’
(Ugochukwu and Babady, 2002). In Ghana, the akan-asantes knows it as
‘kurutu nsurogya’. The serer in Senegal call it ‘gasub’ while the
kissis, mende and temnes in sierra leone call it ‘ndondo-polole,
‘tawabembe’ and ‘ra-bilong’ respectively (Dalziel et at, 1961). They are
sharp bitter and sweet and widely used as a leafy vegetable and as a
spice for sauce, soups and salad (Okolo 1987, Anaso and Onochie 1999).
Utazi is used in small quantity in preparing soups like Nsala soup, ugba
sauce, and yam and also in garnishing dish like Abacha, Ncha, Isiewu,
Nkwobi etc. The leaves are used to spice locally brewed beer. In Sierra
Leone the pliable stems are used as chew sticks. The bark contains much
latex and has been tasted for exploitation (Morebise et al., 2002).
Reports
by various authors showed that it essential oils, saponins and
pregnanes among others (Schneider et al; 1993, Morebise and Fafunso
1998, morebise et al; 202). The plant has been widely used in folk
medicine for maintaining healthy blood glucose level (Okafor 1987,
1989). The plant leaves have been found very efficacious as an
anti-diarrhea, and anti-tussive (Sofoware 1982, Iwu, 1993).
1.0.2
Nchuanwu (ocimum gratissimum / clove Basil), leafy vegetable and belong
to the group of plant known as spices. It is of family of LAMIACEAC
genus OCIMUM and species O.GRATISSIMUM and the vernacular name is CLOVE
BASIL while the botanical name OCIMUM GRATISSIMUM. Nchuanwu is widely
distributed in the tropics of Africa and Asia. It is a perennial plant
that is woody at the base. It has average height of 1-3m high. The
leaves are broad and narrowly ovate, usually 5-13cm long and 3-9cm wide.
It is a scented shrub with lime-green fuzzy leaves (Wagner et al;
1999).
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ABSRACT - [ Total Page(s): 1 ]The research work was focused on the possible vitamin composition of Utazi (Gongronema latifolium) and Nchuanwu (Ocimum gratissimum) leaf juice. Here, it was only the vitamin A and C that were scientifically tested for. Where upon, it was discovered that Utazi had 1.14mglml of vitamin A and 34:61mg1 100m1 of vitamin C, while Nchuanwu had 2.14mglm1 of vitamin A and 30.76mg1 100m1 of vitamin C. From the result gotten, it shows that Utazi and Nchanwu are good sources of vitamin A and C, with high ... Continue reading---
