PROXIMATE COMPOSITION OF EDIBLE AQUATIC VEGETABLES: A PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT OF FOUR SPECIES FROM BANGLADESH

The proximate composition of four commonly found edible aquatic plants (both leaves and stems) from south-western coastal regions of Bangladesh, such as Helencha (Enhydra fluctuants), Malancha (Alternanthera philoxeroides), Shapla (Nymphaea nouchali) and Kochu (Colocasia esculenta) was determined to evaluate their nutritional value in terms of crude protein, lipid and moisture contents. The moisture contents of leaves ranged from 59.41±1.0 % to 67.16±1.0% and that of stems from 70.19±1.0% to 83.03±1.0% (fresh weight). The crude protein contents of leaves ranged from 9.04±0.2 % to 20.58±0.5% and that of stems 6.34±0.4 % to 19.64±0.6% ; the lipid contents of leaves ranged from 1.12±0.2% to 2.96±0.1% and that of stems 1.11±0.3% to 2.02±0.2%; and the ash contents of leaves ranged from13.39±0.5% to 16.13±0.5% and that of stems from 14.29±0.5% to 17.28±0.5% (dry weight). The results revealed that the plants contained essential amount of protein, lipid and moisture which compete favourably well with those of commercially available agricultural vegetables.