Analysis of Proximate Composition, Nutritional Contents and Enzymatic Activities of a Local Variety of Betel Leaf from Bangladesh

Md. Murad Hossain; Dhirendra Nath Barman; Nururshopa Eskander Shazada; Mohammed Mafizul Islam

Abstract

AbstractBetel leaf is a medicinal herb that is commonly used as chewing food item to almost all classes of people in Bangladesh. In the present study, a local variety of betel leaf, Dudhswar, was investigated for analyzing the levels of proximate compositions, vitamins, minerals and carbohydrate metabolizing enzymatic activities. At mature stage, moisture, ash and fiber contents of the betel leaf were 85.40%, 3.15% and 2.11%, respectively. Moisture content decreased gradually with the advances in maturity while ash, fiber, protein and lipid contents increased steadily from premature to overmature stage. At mature stage, the leaf contained 3.86% protein and 0.71% lipid. The leaf also contained 3.22% total soluble sugar, 0.497% reducing sugar, 2.587% sucrose and 6.48% starch at mature stage. The sugar contents gradually increased from premature to overmature stage except for starch. The betel leaf was observed to contain vitamin A (5.32 mg%), vitamin B1 (35.27 µg%), vitamin B2 (0.75 µg%) and vitamin C (322 mg%). The mature leaf also contained 845.34 mg, 18.86 mg, 3154.44 mg, 55.43 mg, 4.77 mg and 9.48 mg per 100 g of fresh leaf, respectively for calcium, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc and iron. The betel leaf showed amylase, invertase, cellulase and β-galactosidase activities in all maturity stages. Betel leaf was therefore found to be a rich source of nutrients. Regular consumption of betel leaf would be advantageous to combat malnutrition as well as carbohydrate metabolism and other health-related disorders.

Abstract

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