PROXIMATE AND PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSES OF IPOMOEA ASARIFOLIA

This study investigated the phytochemical and proximate composition of Ipomoea asarifolia, a tropical plant of extensive distribution that is traditionally used for medicinal and nutritional purposes. The objective of this study was to identify the nutritional potential of the plant and the presence of bioactive compounds that could justify its ethnobotanical applications and determine its viability as a dietary or pharmaceutical product. Proximate analysis revealed that I. asarifolia contains high levels of nutritional components. Carbohydrate content was the highest at 58.98%, followed by moisture (15%), lipid (10%), ash (10%), and crude protein (6.02%). The findings indicate that the plant is high in energy and moderately rich in protein and would therefore be more valuable when used as a food supplement or animal feed resource. Phytochemical screening revealed the highest percentage of flavonoids (18.4%) and alkaloids (14.0%), followed by tannins (1.46%) and phytate (0.98%). These secondary metabolites possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities, which justify the plant’s traditional medicinal use