Free Glucose, Fructose, Sucrose and Total Fructan Contents of Some Commonly Consumed Vegetables in Maiduguri Metropolis, North East Nigeria

Abstract

This research was financed by the Federal Government of Nigeria Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) institutional base research (IBR) Grant

Abstract

Vegetables are a rich source of carbohydrates such as the free sugars (glucose fructose, sucrose) and their polymers (fructans, starch and non-starch polysacharides) that have both beneficial and detrimental impact on health when consumed. The objective of this work is to estimate the contents of free glucose, fructose, sucrose and fructans in commonly consumed vegetables in Maiduguri metropolis of North East Nigeria. The Megazyme assay kits were used to extract and quantify the free sugar and the fructan contents of the vegetables. All the vegetables with the exception of Garlic contained varying amounts of free glucose ranging from 0.1 – 9.34 g/100g of the samples. Free fructose was not detected in Sesame leaves (Sesamum indica), coffee senna (Senna occidentalis), baobab leaves, Mormodica charantia, Moringa oleifera leaves and pumpkin. Garlic (Allium sativum), coffee senna (Senna occidentalis) and kenaf leaves (hibiscus cannabinus) had sucrose ranging between 1.06 – 2.1 g/100g. Garlic (Allium sativum) contained the highest fructan content measuring 8.97±0.19% and the least estimated concentration was seen in red pepper (Capsicum spp). Tomato (Lycopesicon esculenta) and pumpkin (Curcubita pepo) from this study had no detectable fructans.The results have suggested that the vegetables consumed in Maiduguri metropolis have a wide distribution of free sugars and fructans. Thus, the information from this study can be used for the development of food composition table of vegetables within the region.

Keywords: Free sugars (Glucose and Fructose); Fructans; Serving size; Vegetables.