Nutrient content of fresh and nutrient retention in cooked Solanum nigrum Linn. leaves and green berries

Abstract

At present, the demand for nutraceuticals in lifestyle diseases is increasing due to its low side effects. Many of the vegetables which we include in the diet itself possess nutraceutical properties besides its culinary purposes. Many such plants are still unfamiliar to the common man due to lack of awareness about their therapeutic potentials. Solanum nigrum Linn. is a plant  which belongs to the family Solanacea and  possess nutraceutical properties. Nutrient retention of vegetables subjected to different cooking methods varies. The present study   aimed to analyse the nutrient content and estimate the percentage of nutrient retention in Solanum nigrum Linn. leaves and green berries subjected to different cooking methods. Fresh leaves and green berries were harvested from the green house in which cultivation was done and were cooked by boiling, pressure cooking, steaming, sautéing and microwave. Nutrients in both fresh and cooked leaves and berries were analyzed using standard procedures using Millipore water. The percentage of nutrient retention in each cooked sample was calculated using USDA true retention formula. Findings revealed that among the cooked leaves, the steamed leaves  possessed  more carbohydrates and proteins while in case of green berries, more crude fibre and carbohydrates was seen. Besides these, a significant amount of iron, calcium, phosphorus and vitamin C contents were present in steamed leaves and green berries when compared with other cooking methods. Similar results were observed in case of percentage of nutrient retention also. From the results, it can be concluded that, steaming is the best method of cooking to retain more nutrients  in Solanum nigrum Linn. leaves and green berries. Since the fresh leaves and green berries is normally not consumed by humans, steaming may be considered as the best method for human consumption to avail the maximum nutritional and therapeutic benefits of the leaves and green berries.