Nnamani Catherine V
Plant Taxonomy/ Biosystematics and Bioresource Management and Conservation Unit, Department of Applied Biology, Ebonyi State University Abakaliki, Nigeria.
Recent Pat Food Nutr Agric. 2015;7(1):14-21. doi: 10.2174/2212798407666150324103615.
Overcoming food and nutritional insecurity among the elderly, pregnant women and children under five years, remains a big challenge to human and sustainable development in many resourse- poor communities in developing countries, where over 57% of the people go to bed hungry. Diversification of dietary habit to include derelict plant genetic resources which are cheap, readily available and affordable, could contribute to the daily dietary requirements of these resource poor people. This work was initiated to explore the nutritional values of some Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS) from Nigeria, as an innovative approach of reducing food and nutrition insecurity in this country. Multidimensional Analysis (MDA) for decision making tool was used to pool the desirable nutrients in each of these species and rank them. These were then compared with Lactuca sativa var. longifolia L (exotic). Results from these analyses showed that these NUS are endowed with appreciable levels of nutrients. MDA showed that S. occidentalis ranked 1st with a WF of (4.16), followed by T. occidentals 2(nd) with WF of (3.75) when all desirable nutrient values of high moisture, carbohydrate, protein content, low fat and better energy calorie (kcal) nutrients were pooled together amongst these species. It implies that these NUS could contribute to the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range (AMDR) for micronutrient as recommended US8053007B2 and could help in reducing malnutrition as entrenched in the Millennium Development Goal (MDGs). There is a need for expanded policy programmes for sustainable enlightenment on their nutritional benefits in order to promote their selection as part of cooked food, cultivation and green job creation.
在许多发展中国家资源匮乏的社区，克服老年人、孕妇和五岁以下儿童的粮食和营养不安全问题，仍然是人类和可持续发展面临的巨大挑战，这些社区超过57%的人饿着肚子睡觉。将饮食习惯多样化，纳入廉价、容易获取且负担得起的废弃植物遗传资源，有助于满足这些资源匮乏人群的日常饮食需求。开展这项工作是为了探索尼日利亚一些被忽视和未充分利用物种（NUS）的营养价值，作为减少该国粮食和营养不安全的一种创新方法。使用多维度分析（MDA）作为决策工具，汇总这些物种中每种的理想营养素并进行排名。然后将这些与长叶生菜（外来品种）进行比较。这些分析结果表明，这些被忽视和未充分利用物种富含可观水平的营养素。多维度分析表明，当将高水分、碳水化合物、蛋白质含量、低脂肪和较好能量卡路里（千卡）营养素的所有理想营养值汇总在一起时，西方龙葵排名第一，加权分数（WF）为4.16，其次是西方刺蒴麻排名第二，加权分数为3.75。这意味着这些被忽视和未充分利用物种可以有助于达到美国专利US8053007B2所推荐的微量营养素可接受宏量营养素分布范围（AMDR），并有助于减少千年发展目标（MDGs）中所强调的营养不良问题。需要扩大政策方案，以持续宣传它们的营养益处，从而促进将其选作熟食的一部分、进行种植并创造绿色就业机会。
