Evaluation Of Phytochemical And Medicinal Potentials Of Bitter Cola (Garcinia Kola), Alligator Pepper (Aframomum melegueta) And Country ONION (Afrostyrax lepidophyllus)

                                                             ABSTRACT 

 Phytochemical and medicinal potentials of Bitter cola (Garcinia kola), Alligator pepper (Aframomum melegueta) and Country onion (Afrostyrax lepidophyllus) was determine to test the nutritional composition, anti-nutritional properties and pathogenic organisms. Laboratory procedures were carried out at National Root Crop Research institute in Umudike, Abia State. The result obtained were analyzed using Analysis of variance (ANOVA), descriptive statistics, regression analysis and means were separated using least significant difference (LSD). The treatments used for this study were non-roasted and roasted of Garcinia Kola, Aframomum melegueta, and Afrostyrax lepidphyllus extracts. Non-roasted and roasted extracts, showed the presence of bioactive constituents. The result of bitter cola in non-roasted samples showed the highest carbohydrate (CHO) at 86.36%, dry matter 91.93% and alligator pepper had the highest ash, 4.57% crude fibre was 5.56%, ether extract 4.28%, crude protein was 7.64%. In roasted samples, CHO was the highest (87.60%) followed by alligator pepper (70.69%). The mineral contents of non roasted extracts of Aframomum melegueta and Afrostyrax lepidphyllus showed high level of Calcium (134.73mg/100g), Phosphorous (38.72mg/100g), Magnesium (69.68mg/100g), Potassium (43.75mg/100g), and Sodium (108.66mg/100g). The results of roasted and non- roasted seeds extracts of alligator pepper and bitter cola had the highest Fe (2.18) and Zn (0.84mg), The results of vitamin showed that Country onion and alligator pepper had great amount of Vitamin A (3.86mg/100g), VitaminB1(0.07mg/100g), VitaminB2(0.05mg/100g) Vitamin B3 (0.04 mg/100g) Vitamin C (4.75mg/100g) and Vitamin E, (3.13 mg/100g). The phytochemicals result showed the high level of flavonoid (2.41%), alkaloid (1.47%), Tannin (1.32%) Cyanogenic glycosides (1.41%) saponin (1.18%), phenol (0.27%) and sterol (0.35%) in alligator pepper seed. In microbial and antimicrobial analysis, control treatment (ciprofloxacin and fungabater) had the highest inhibition in both roasted and non-roasted sample in all the level (100mg/ml, 150mg/ml and 200mg/ml), followed by alligator pepper. While country onion and bitter cola was the least inhibition at all level