PROXIMATE COMPOSITION, TOTAL PHNOLIC CONTENT, TOTAL FLOVANOIDS, ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY AND FATTY ACID PROFILE OF LEAF OF Urtica simensis GROWN IN ETHOPIA

<strong>Abstract</strong>: Urtica simensis Growth in Ethiopia has potential contribution to food security, nutrition, health, and medicinal important. But, the potential of spreading its uses from region to region and cultural group is not fully exploited by most of ethnic group of Ethiopia. In this respect the leave of Urtica simensis was analyzed for its proximate composition, total phenolic content, Flavonoids, antioxidants activity, and fatty acid profile. Proximate composition was analyzed using AOAC standard methods and secondary metabolites, total phenolic content (TPC), total Flavonoids concentration (TFC), and antioxidant activity were analyzed through Folin-Denis, Aluminum trichloride (AlCl3) and DPPH methods respectively. The proximate analysis results reveals the presence of the percentage range of moisture content is 6.393% to 9.713%, ash content is 15.85% to 22.78%, crude fat content is 2.963% to 3.19%, crude protein content is 3.093% to 5.953%, crude fiber is 8.733% to 12.63%,carbohydrate content is 51.026% to 59.350%.For secondary metabolites the results were 1.854 to 4.232 (GAE/gm and 1.970 to 4.509 (GAE/gm for total phenolic, 0.910 to 3.623 (Catechine equivalent )/gm and 1.247 to 4.16 (Catechine equivalent )/gm for total Flavonoids 100% and 80% methanol extract respectively . and IC50 values for antioxidant activity were range from 435.638 to 2308.47µg/mL and 91.485 to 2241.774 µg/mL for100 and 80% methanolic extracts respectively. In, addition the result indicated that FA profile analyzed by GC-MS.12 to 16 FAs have been identified and 1unidentify FAs in each sample, in which palmitic acid (C16:0), linoleic acid (C18:2(n-6), α- linolenic acid (C18:3(n-3) were major FAS, Undecanoic acid (C11:0) solutions were used to validate the method. It’s ash, cured fat and carbohydrate exceptionally high which makes these vegetables can serve as main sources of the biomolecules that are important for body metabolism and it is sources α- linoleic and Linoleic FAS for nutrient. Since, their cultivation and consumption should be encouraged.