The Nutritional Value of some Desert plants in Kuwait, Arabian Pennisula | ||||
| Taeckholmia | ||||
| Article 2, Volume 22, Issue 1, 2002, Page 35-45 PDF (115.7 K) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/taec.2002.12389 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Author | ||||
| Hassan El-Tantawy* | ||||
| Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, Menufiya University. | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| The nutritional role of five desert plants in the diet of the inhabitants of Kuwait was investigated. Different organs of the five species (leaves, stems or the whole plants) were analyzed for mineral ion composition, amino acids, carbohydrates content, crude fat, crude fibres and crude protein: Rumex vesicarius, Malva parviflora, Suaeda aegyptiaca, Sonchus oleraceus and Cynomorium coccineum. The hydrolyzate of Sonchus oleraceus was found to contain 17 amino acids and thus representing the most valuable species, also it contains large amount of crude fibres. All five plants contained eight essential amino acids. The parasitic species (Cynomorium coccineum) contained the highest content of protein (28.67% dry weight) and large amounts of crude fat. High concentrations of Na were recorded in Suaeda aegyptiaca (105.4mg / g oven dry weight). The levels of trace minerals detected constitute no hazardous effect on human health. Results indicated that edible desert plants of Kuwait could contribute useful amounts of essential nutrients especially in poor countries. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| Gynomorium; Malva; Nutritional Value; Rumex; Sonchus; Suaeda | ||||
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