PROXIMATE COMPOSITION ANALYSIS OF TWO MEDICINALLY IMPORTANT PLANTS ACHYRANTHES ASPERA AND CISSUS QUADRANGULARIS

Objective: Nutritive status of components of two medicinally important plants Achyranthes aspera (seeds) and Cissus quadrangularis (stem) was determined. These plants have been evaluated for proximate principles to utilize them as a new dietary supplement. Methods: Finely grounded samples of selected plants were subjected to chemical analysis by AOAC (1995). The total nitrogen content was determined following the standard Kjeldahl’s method using Kel Plus Semi Automatic Nitrogen Analyzer (Pelican Equipments). Determination of ether extract (EE) was done with the help of Soxhlet’s apparatus. For determination of dry matter (DM), crude fiber (CF), nitrogen detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF) and total ash (TA), standard conventional procedures were followed. The conventional Weende’s method was followed for the calculation of nitrogen free extract (NFE). The method of Talapatra et al. (1940) was followed for the determination of calcium and phosphorus. Results: The CP, CF, TA, NDF, Ca and P of Achyranthes aspera (seeds) and Cissus quadrangularis (stem) respectively were found to be 18.91 and 20.19, 21.03 and 19.19, 2.86 and 1.53, 27.00 and 21.00, 1.98 and 4.28 and 0.49 and 0.47. Conclusion: The evaluation revealed that these plant parts may prove a good dietary supplement for their medicinal use as reported and can compensate the traditional sources which are in a shrinking state.