Nutritional Evaluation and Overall Acceptability of Cauliflower Leaves Powder (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L) in Lemon Juice.

Abstract Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea) is a cruciferous vegetable with high nutrient content and also having highest waste index. The leaves, being consider as a non-edible portion is a rich source of iron. In India, Iron deficiency anemia is highly prevalent in spite of availability of variety of low-cost green leafy vegetables. Hence in this context this study is aimed to analyze the nutrient content and sensory quality of low cost fresh and dry cauliflower leaf powder (CLP) at different variations (5g, 10g, 15g and 20g) and to study the efficacy of incorporation of 20gm of Vitamin-C in the form of lemon juice. The results of the study indicated that the fresh cauliflower leaves have greater iron (40mg) andVitamin-C (56.5mg) when compared todried leaves (1.2 mg) and (52mg) respectively. But there is an exponential increase in macro and micro nutrient content of dry leaves at various levels (5g, 10g, 15g and 20g)along withthe incorporation of 20g of ascorbic acid. Sensory analyses shows that addition of 10g of CLP in lemon juice scored high when compared to other levels (5, 15 and 20g). Thus,low-cost cauliflower leaves can be utilized as a healthy option to eradicate iron deficiency anemia among the adolescent population. Key words- Cauliflower leaves, Anemia, Iron, Vitamin-C, Lemon juice.