Abstract:
Vegetables are an essential part of human diets worldwide, providing valuable nutrients that promote disease prevention, improve health, and contribute to body structure. Nontraditional vegetables are particularly beneficial as they are rich in micro and macronutrients, helping to meet nutritional requirements and address micronutrient deficiencies at a low cost. In tropical countries, rural communities rely on a wide range of wild vegetables, including roots, tubers, leaves, and fruits, due to their taste, cultural significance, and ability to supplement food supply amidst population growth. This study aims to investigate the nutritional status and potential utilization of a specific nontraditional vegetable, the wild cucumber, which grows abundantly in the Tharparkar desert of Sindh. The study findings reveal variations in the moisture content of wild cucumber across different preparation methods, ranging from 85.93% in fresh samples to 62.80%, 62.08%, 10.85% and 11.64% in fried, cooked, thermally dehydrated and sundried samples, respectively. The highest ash content was observed in thermally dehydrated samples (9.15%), followed by samples dried under sunlight (8.13%). Cooked, fried, and fresh samples had ash contents of 4.05%, 3.97%, and 2.69%, respectively. The levels of crude fiber, fat, proteins, and carbohydrates were highest in samples dried under sunlight and lowest in fresh samples. Energy values were estimated to be 45.76 kcal per 100g in fresh samples, while thermally dehydrated samples had the highest energy value of 243.25 kcal per 100g. The mineral composition of wild cucumber, expressed in milligrams per 100g, was analyzed and compared. Copper, iron, zinc, manganese, calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium contents were lower in raw samples compared to fried and curry samples. Curry samples exhibited slightly higher mineral element levels compared to fresh samples, while the highest mineral element values were found in dried samples (thermally dehydrated and shade dried). Notably, the copper content showed no significant difference between curry, thermally dehydrated, and shade dried samples.
Page(s):
166-166
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: Abstract Book on International Conference on Food and Applied Sciences (ICFAS-23) 3-5 August 23, Volume: 0, Issue: 0, Year: 2023
Keywords:
proximate
,
wild melon
,
minerals
,
Nontraditional vegetables