The aim of this research is to determine the quality and proximate composition of
Amaranthus hybridus
,
Celosia argentea
, and
Talinum triangulare
obtained from open markets
in Benin City, Nigeria. Microbiological and proximate analysis were carried out using standard
methods. Results of the proximate analysis revealed the presence of proteins (12.86 ± 0.19 %;
9.28 ± 0.07 % and 2.82 ± 0.08 %), carbohydrates (9.06 ± 4.19 %; 8.28 ± 0.48 % and 12.22 ±
0.53 %), fibre (10.38 ± 0.25 %; 8.45 ± 0.13 % and 3.55 ± 0.17 %), lipids (0.23 ± 0.13 %; 1.44 ±
0.28 % and 1.06 ± 0.28 %), moisture (62.38 ± 4.05 %; 62.98 ± 0.38 % and 79.65 ± 0.56 %) and
ash (mineral content) (5.10 ± 0.14 %; 9.58 ± 0.05% and 0.70 ± 0.12 %) in the green leaf, soko
and water leaf respectively, needed for normal functioning of the body. However, microbial
contaminants were observed which included bacterial and fungal species. The bacteria isolated
were:
Staphylococcus aureus
,
Bacillus subtillis
,
Enterobacter
sp,
Klebsiella
sp,
Proteus vulgaris
,
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
and
Escherichia coli
, while the fungal species isolated were:
Rhizopus stolonifer
,
Aspergillus niger
,
Fusarium solani
,
Aspergillus flavus
,
Mucor mucedo
,
Penicillium notatum
, and
Penicillium expansum
. The bacterial count, coliform count and fungal
count of
A. hybridus were: 1.19 x 10
5 ± 4.52 x 10
4 cfu/g, 3.30 x 10
4 ± 1.82 x 10
4 cfu/g and 6.50
x 10
3 ± 3.32 x 10
3 cfu/g respectively.
C. argentea had 1.56 x 10
5 ± 7.00 x 10
4 cfu/g, 3.88 x 10
4 ±
2.56 x 10
4 cfu/g and 6.00 x 10
3 ± 3.74 x 10
3 cfu/g respectively, while
T. triangulare had 1.99 x
10
5 ± 9.31 x 10
4 cfu/g, 4.93 x 10
4 ± 4.77 x 10
4 cfu/g and 4.78 x 10
3 ± 2.18 x 10
4 cfu/g
respectively. Antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the bacterial isolates revealed multi-drug
resistance and plasmid-mediated resistance genes among the isolates. Public enlightenment,
proper washing and cooking with potable water are therefore recommended to avoid the
menance of these multi-drug resistant microbial contaminants.
