An Interventional Approach to Combat Micronutrient Malnutrition through Herbal Food Product prepared from Fluted pumpkin Telfairia occidentalis leaves Curry Murraya koenigii leaves and Spinach Spinacia oleracea leaves

Abstract

An Interventional Approach to Combat Micronutrient Malnutrition through Herbal Food Product prepared from Fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) leaves, Curry (Murraya koenigii) leaves and Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) leavesand#750; newlineBackground: Micronutrients are essential to sustain life and for optimal physiological function. Despite the most widely used strategies of supplementation and industrial fortification of staple foods that has been in place for decades, only limited progress has been achieved. Micronutrient malnutrition still persists and remains a major public health concern globally. To overcome these limitations, green leafy vegetables play a major role in the supply of micronutrients to human diet and can be used as an alternative to synthetic micronutrient supplements and food fortificants. newlineObjectives: To assess nutritional, anti-nutritional and antioxidant composition of fresh and dehydrated Telfairia occidentalis leaves, Murraya koenigii leaves and Spinacia oleracea leaves, assess phytochemical compounds in dehydrated Telfairia occidentalis leaves, Murraya koenigii leaves and Spinacia oleracea leaves, develop Herbal Premix with the combination of different ratio of the dehydrated leaves powder, assess sensory acceptability of the developed Herbal Premix, assess nutritional, anti-nutritional and antioxidant composition of the best treatment herbal premix, find out shelf life and cost of the best treatment herbal premix, develop and assess nutrition education module (Documentary) for creating awareness on utilization of herbal leaves. newlineMethods: Analysis of nutritional, anti-nutritional and antioxidant composition of fresh and dehydrated Telfairia occidentalis leaves, Murraya koenigii leaves and Spinacia oleracea leaves was carried out using standard analytical procedures. The presence of phytochemical compounds in dehydrated T. occidentalis leaves, M. koenigii leaves and S. oleracea leaves was determined by standard procedures. Herbal Premix was prepared by incorporation of different ratio of leaves powder