Comparative Assessment of Oxalate Content in Selected Locally Most Consumed Vegetables and Foods in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria

In recent times, researchers are hard-pressed to determine which chemical substances present in an individual’s diet and internal body system are working together to promote good health or are conspiring to create illnesses. The persistently increasing cases of hyperoxaluria-linked illnesses like kidney stones, bone deformations, and arthritis have led to strident and persistent research reports on oxalates in vegetables and foods. Thus, assessment of total oxalate contents of highly consumed vegetables and foods in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State has been carried out. Hot extraction and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography methodology were used for the investigation. The total oxalate contents of the samples in milligrams were: 5.40±0.01634; 6.80±0.08185; 50.20±0.16432; 8.60±0.24495; 80.40±0.16432 for Bitter Leaf, Pumpkin Leaf, Okra, Yam and Cassava respectively and for White Maize, Brown Maize, White Rice, and Brown Pepper were 5.40±0.16432; 4.73±0.12490; 38.00±0.08185; 26.57±0.10114, 38.80±0.08185 respectively. From the results obtained, all the samples investigated showed low oxalate content and the dried samples have higher electrical conductivity but lower amount of oxalate compared to the fresh samples. Also, fresh cassava has a high oxalate content, followed by fresh okra and the order is: Cassava > Okra > Brown Pepper > White rice > Sweet Potato > Yam > Pumpkin > Bitter Leaf/White Maize > Brown Maize. The determination of oxalate contents of the samples to create awareness of health risks associated with the consumption of vegetables and foods with high oxalates is the aim of this investigation