Proximate and phytochemical composition of selected indigenous leafy vegetables consumed in Malawi

Indigenous vegetables are very important in nutritional wellbeing of low resource rural communities especially in developing countries. Most indigenous vegetables are also believed to contain health promoting compounds such as antioxidants. In this study, nutrient composition of three commonly consumed indigenous leafy vegetables in Malawi namely Amaranth (Amaranthus species), Black jack (Bidens pilosa) and Mwamuna aligone/gallant soldier (Galinsoga parviflora) was determined. Results showed that crude protein expressed on dry weight basis ranged from 15.83±0.19 to 19.04±0.33 with B. pilosa registering the highest value and G. parviflora the lowest. Results on mineral content showed that G. parviflora had the highest (18.84±0.40% DW) p