TITLE:
The Environmental Health Benefits of Four Different Selected Vegetables (Saluyot Spp, Melissa Spp, Ocimum Spp and Talinum Spp), Procured in Serrekunda Market for Cosmopolitan Consumption Rate in the Gambia
AUTHORS:
Vincent Oyareme, Eunice I. O. Osaji, Alagie Bah
KEYWORDS:
Vegetables, Human Health Benefits, Environment, Cosmopolitan Consumption Rates
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.9 No.7,
July
29,
2022
ABSTRACT: This study was conducted to analyse the health benefits and medicinal values of four different selected vegetable species (Corchorus olitorius, Melissa officinalis, Occimum gratissimum and Talinum triangulare) in three different families; Malvaceae, Lamiaceae and Talinaceae procured in serrekunda market for cosmopolitan consumption rate in the Gambia. A qualitative research design is adopted. Leafy vegetables play specific roles and form an important part of human diet that provides a cheap supplement and other source of nutrients such as minerals, vitamins, proteins, etc. to the body. In West Africa, particularly the Gambia, vegetables are vulnerable farm/garden outputs, due to the fact that they are staple food for humans in most areas in which rich sources of carbohydrate are mostly derived from, like any other plants such as cassava and potato, rice and maize, sorghum and millet, scent leaf and nana mint leaf, etc. It is important to observe their necessary condition for their increased and improved production of leafy vegetables due to their high significant photosynthetic capacity productivity as a potential point, resulting in achieving an increase output in crop productivity. They are mostly C4 plants which showed higher photosynthetic strength by suppressing photorespiration that occur mainly at low atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, high light, high temperature, drought and salinity than C3 plants. They also have the ability and capability to convert carbon dioxide gas into organic matter more efficiently than the C3 plants. Analyses of data using simple percentage correlation showed that strongly agreed recorded the highest percentage rate of 51.52% from responses of 170 people and disagree recorded the lowest percentage rate of 6.06% from 20 people responses to the questionnaire statement made on item number 8 as “Do you know that Saluyot Spp (Corchorus olitorius) increases sexual libido, fertility and reduces bladder problem”. Chi-square showed the probability level of insignificance at P > 0.05, showed the level of insignificance goodness of fits on the population of sampled vegetable species on environmental unawareness health benefits and its medicinal values in the Gambia, other than the leaves colour ratio of 3 green and 1 yellow category, data can also be more than two depending on their phenotypic generational appearance. Efficient harvesting of these different vegetable species and proper awareness to the people on its medicinal value and health benefits brings about a sustainable environmental vegetable garden farming in the Gambia.