Comparative Assessment of the Phytochemical and Selected Heavy Metal Levels in <i>Cucumis sativus</i> L. and <i>Solanum aethiopicum</i> L. Fruit Samples Grown in South Eastern and North Central Regions of Nigeria Respectively

Abstract

Studies were carried out to comparatively assess the phytochemical and heavy metal levels in Solanum aethiopicum L. and Cucumis sativus L. fruit samples grown in the South Eastern and North Central regions of Nigeria respectively using standard analytical procedures and instrumentation. The fruit samples were assayed for selected heavy metals (Pb, Cd and Cu) using atomic absorption spectrophotometer after wet digestion of the samples. The five detected phytochemicals (flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins and glycosides) were present at varying amounts in the investigated fruit samples from the South Eastern and North Central regions of Nigeria. The range of mean values of flavonoids, terpenoids, saponins and glycosides in the S. aethiopicum L. fruit samples from the two studied regions were 0.50 - 0.57, 0.53 - 1.26, 0.44 - 0.78, 1.12 - 1.93 and 0.40 - 0.50 mg/g respectively. The range of mean values of flavonoids, alkaloids, terpenoids, saponins and glycosides in the C. sativus L. fruit samples from the two studied regions of Nigeria were 1.27 - 1.69, 0.53 - 0.55, 0.96 - 1.51, 0.41 - 0.83 and 0.90 - 1.74 mg/g respectively. The range of mean vales of Pb, Cd, and Cu in the S. aethiopicum L. fruit samples from the two studied regions were 0.15 - 0.24, 0 - 0.01, 0.78 - 1.12 μg/g respectively. 0.31 - 0.40, 0.02 - 0.05 and 0.62 - 0.96 μg/g were the range of mean values of Pb, Cd and Cu respectively in the C. sativus L. fruit samples from the two studied regions of Nigeria. Of the three investigated heavy metals, only Cd was at toxic levels in the C. sativus L. fruit samples from the South Eastern and North Central regions of Nigeria. This is therefore a health concern to the fruit consumers that includes these fruits in their habitual daily fruit diets. Although the therapeutic and pharmaceutical benefits that would be derived from consuming , the investigated fruit samples ha s been shown in this study, there is therefore a possible risk of undue exposure to environmental pollutants such as heavy metal, especially through growing these fruits in polluted soils resulting from unwholesome anthropogenic practices. For fruit consumers to derive maximum health benefits from consuming these fruits, pollutants like heavy metals must be at non-toxic levels and this can only be achieved by ensuring that these fruits samples are grown and harvested in environments with less anthropogenic activities.