Assessment of the Phytochemical, Proximate and Elemental Contents of Cassytha Filiformis (Love-Vine) Whole Plant from South-Eastern Nigeria

In Nigeria, Cassytha filiformis plant is used as both medicine and nutritional supplement because of its variety of secondary metabolites, proximate analytes and mineral contents. The present study is aimed to analyze the phytochemical compositions of the whole plant of Cassytha filiformis in four solvent extracts as well as to analyze its proximate and elemental contents. Phytochemicals were determined using known and standard procedures. The analysis of the proximate compositions of C. filiformis whole plant was carried out using Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) methods, the composition of carbon in the plant sample was determined using gravimetric method while other elemental compositions were determined using flame atomic absorption spectroscopic (AAS) method. Phytochemical screening confirmed that the plant possess major classes of secondary metabolites such as flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, steroids, phenolic compounds, cardiac glycosides, cyanogenic glycosides, oxalate, phytate and tannins which expressed anti-nutrritional properties of the plant. The proximate analysis findings proved that C. filiformis has greater proportions of crude protein (10.850 ± 0.495%), crude fibre (7.803 ± 1.510%), crude fat (2.392 ± 0.348%), carbohydrates (59.564 ± 1.913%), moisture content (10.948 ± 0.607%) and ash content (8.444 ± 0.168%). The results also revealed rich sources of elements in increasing order Al (0.021 ± 0.003 mg/kg) < Pb (0.133 ± 0.000 mg/kg) < Cu (0.268 ± 0.007 mg/kg) < Zn (0.473 ± 0.008 mg/kg) < Fe (1.259 ± 0.076 mg/kg) < Ca (5.237 ± 0.036mg/kg) < K (6.083 ± 0.042mg/kg) < Mg (6.944 ± 0.070mg/kg) < Na (7.057 ± 0.039 mg/kg) < C (12.813 ± 0.110 mg/kg) which proved the good nutritional value of the plant. This research would help to formulate pharmaceutical medications and feed supplement.