Comparative analysis of some selected minerals in <em>Costus afer </em>leaf and stem in Abakaliki, Nigeria

Abstract

The study was carried out to evaluate the level of some mineral in Costus afer leaf and stem as it is been used in recently use in ethnomedicine for the treatment of diseases and also consume as vegetable by humans. The composition were evaluated using a standard method of AOAC, 2006. The result revealed a significant amount of heavy metals in the leaf in the order of calcium (74.52 ± 0.01 mg/g) > magnesium (31.71 ± 0.02 mg/g) >sodium (22.33 ± 0.02 mg/g) >manganese (7.31 ± 0.01 mg/g) >phosphorus (9.03 ± 0.02 mg/g) >potassium (6.91 ± 0.01 mg/g) >zinc (2.02 ± 0.01mg/g) >Nickel (0.26 ± 0.01 mg/g) >Iron (0.22 ± 0.01 mg/g) >lead (0.11 ± 0.02 mg/g) while the stem is in the order of calcium (70.23 ± 0.02 mg/g) >magnesium (37.64 ± 0.01) >potassium (16.45 ± 0.04 mg/g) >sodium (14.13 ± 0.02 mg/g) >phosphorus (10.42 ± 0.02 mg/g) > manganese (8.04 ± 0.04 mg/g) >zinc (2.23 ± 0.28 mg/g) >Iron (1.07 ± 0.01 mg/g) >lead (0.61 ± 0.01 mg/g) >nickel (0.24 ± 0.02 mg/g). Base on the result analyzed it is concluded that the plant can be used as an alternative and complimentary therapy for many oxidative stressed diseases and could be incorporated in nutraceutical, provided further scientific studies on the pharmacological and toxicological aspects are carried out.