Health Benefits of Nutritional Composition of Cocoyam (<i>Colocasia esculanta</i>) Tuber and Leaves

This study investigated the proximate composition, phytochemical content, and amino acid profiles of cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) tuber and leaves. Proximate analysis revealed that the samples contained 16.63% crude protein, 3.19% fat, 8.38% ash, 6.37% crude fiber, 6.51% moisture, and 58.94% carbohydrate on average. Phytochemical screening identified the presence of oxalates, saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, and cyanide in varying concentrations. Amino acid profiling showed that the samples contained all essential amino acids with leucine (6.99%), lysine (4.46%), and isoleucine (4.21%) being the most abundant. Glutamic acid (10.29%) and aspartic acid (8.87%) were the predominant non-essential amino acids. The total amino acid content ranged from 54.84 to 74.85 g/100g protein. Essential amino acid scores indicated that most amino acids met or exceeded FAO/WHO reference values, with phenylalanine + tyrosine having the highest score. The study reveals that cocoyam tubers are excellent sources of energy, while the leaves are significantly higher in protein and essential amino acids than other widely consumed leaves, highlighting its potential as some nutrient-dense food source rich in essential amino acids and carbohydrates.