Appendix: Nutritional composition of edible parts of plants

Species	plant part	energy kJ	water %	protein g	fibre g	ash g	fat g	total CHO g	NFE g	vit C mg	b-carotein eq mg	Na mg	P mg	Ca mg	Mg mg	Fe mg	K mg	thi mg	ribo mg	niac mg	chlorides mg
Acacia nilotica	seeds			14.1	14.3	6.2	1.9						23
Acacia senegal	seeds			22	39	7.1	1
Acacia senegal	seeds			40.1	13.7	5	5.8						0.3
Acacia tortilis	seeds		8.28	13.21		16.21	6.93	55.37			18000	42	206	101	23	31	843
Acacia tortilis	green pod	280	75	4.2	7.2	1.5	0.3	19	11.8	1.1		1.03	62.7	187	45	3.9	296	0.23	0.02
Acokanthera oppositifolia	fruit		89.03							3.58
Adansonia digitata	fruit	1229	8.7	2.7	8.9	5.8	0.2	82.6	73.7	20.9		11.2	76.2	335	167	2.65	2409
Adansonia digitata	kernel	1803	8.1	33.7	16.9	5.9	30.6	21.7	4.8			2.48	5.12	273	640	6.55	1275
Adansonia digitata	pulp	1214	16.0	2.2	6.8	4.3	0.8	76.7	69.9	270	70		118	284		7.4		0.37	0.06	2.1
Adansonia digitata	meal	1331	7.4	6.6	5.7	4.2	0.3	81.5	75.8				143	300		2.6		0.02	0.07	2.2
Adansonia digitata	leaves raw	289	77	3.8	2.8					50				400
Aerva lanata	leaves raw		85.85	2.59		3.46				10.84	1518
Aerva lanata	leaves	201	83.1	3.9	2.1	3.0	0.6	9.4	7.3				86	493
Amaranthus sp.	leaves raw		83.28	3.15	2.01	3.12	0.21	10.24	8.23	127.27	10667
Amaranthus sp.	leaves raw	176	84	4.6			0.2			64	5716		103	410
Amaranthus sp.	seeds dried	1490	12.7	14.0			6.0						455	490
Amaranthus sp.	leaves raw	151	86.9	3.5	1.3	2.6	0.5	6.5	5.2	80			67	267		3.9	411	0.08	0.16	1.4
Amaranthus caudatus	leaves raw		75.51	4.72	3.02	5.55	0.29	14.29	11.27	179.49	9031
Amaranthus cruentus	leaves raw		79.96	4.84	2.0	4.36						2.2	94.18	673	644	10.62	1204
Amaranthus dubius	leaves raw		80.74	3.83	3.33	3.45	0.2	11.79	8.46	137.88	10375
Amaranthus hybridus hybridus	leaves raw	336	72.7	6.3	2.8	5.2	0.5	15.3	12.5			6.54	116	553	329	10.9	1389
Amaranthus thunbergii	leaves raw	147	83.6	4.3	2.8	5.1	0.2	6.8	4.0			14.4	67.5	313	135	13.6	381
Antidesma venosum	fruit		83							3.08
Asystasia gangetica	leaves raw		88.04	2.96	1.3	2.95				6.05	4625	38.41	43.08	379	242	15.56	493
Azanza garckeana	fruit		18.0
Balanites aegyptiaca	fruit raw	511	64.0	2.2		1.9	tr.	31.9		14				47
Balanites aegyptiaca	fruit dried	1151	19.0	5.0	3.1	4.4	0.1	71.5	68.4	35	0		62	141		3.1		0.20	0.11	1.17
Balanites aegyptiaca	kernel dried	2289	5.0	23.0	5.4	3.2	43.5	25.3	19.9	0	0		508	172		7.0		1.60?	0.07	1.3
Balanites aegyptiaca	seeds	2140		27	1.0	3.7	34						720
Balanites aegyptiaca	fruit	1129		4.9	3.5								58
Balanites aegyptiaca	fruit	1357		4.1	6.6	3.9							80
Basella alba	leaves raw		90.2	1.85	1.5	1.4	0.33	6.22	4.73	227.45	1927
Basella alba	leaves raw	84	92.5	1.8	0.8	1.7	0.3	3.7	2.9	39			69	138
Basella alba	leaves raw	80	93.4	1.6	0.6					85	3500			105	1.6
Berchemia discolor	fruit									116
Berchemia discolor	fruit		38.65	0.99	30.43	3.08	2.8	59.26		2.85		300	2250	18.75	1250	175	7500				38.48
Borassus aethiopum	fruit raw	179	87.6	0.8			0.1			5			30
Boscia coriacea	fruit ripe	1994	7.46	16.63	31.92	4.82	1.93		44.7
Brassica carinata	leaves		86.1	3.5	1.6	3.4	0.8	4.3		197			77
Cajanus cajan	seed whole dried	1444	9.9	19.5	7.3	3.8	1.3	65.5	58.2	tr.	55		285	161				0.72	0.14	2.9
Cajanus cajan	seeds raw unripe		67.4	7.0	3.5	1.3	0.6	23.7?	20.2
Cajanus cajan	seeds dry ripe		10.1	19.2	8.1	3.8	1.5	65.4	57.3
Carissa edulis	fruit ripe, no seeds	77.2	3.4	2.0
Carissa edulis	fruit unripe with seeds	79.2	5.7	2.0
Citrullus lanatus	fruit raw	92	93.6	0.5	0.4	0.3	0.1	5.5	5.1	8	250		9	8		0.3		0.04	0.05	0.1
Citrullus lanatus	flesh	60	94.2	0.4	1.2	1.1	0.04	4.26	3.06	9.2		2.1	5.1	31.6	16	0.3	267
Citrullus lanatus	seed	1274	5.7	17.9	41.8	1.9	20.2	54.3	12.5			5.67	474	54	209	6.55	433
Citrullus lanatus	fruit		93.4	0.5	0.2	0.5	0.1	5.5	5.3
Cleome gynandra	leaves raw	181	85	5.1	1.3	3.6	0.6	5.7	4.4			33.6	12.0	262	86.8	18.8	410
Cleome gynandra	leaves raw	142	86.6	4.8	1.2	3.0	0.4	5.2		13			111	288		6.0
Cleome gynandra	leaves cooked	172	86.6	4.2	1.3	1.9	1.0	6.3					94	135		3.4
Commelina benghalensis	leaves raw		82.31	3.79		1.98						2.83	37.15	228	109	11.59	616.5
Commelina forskaolii	leaves dry			20.25	17.4	15.7	2.89	61.16	43.76
Commiphora sp. nr. campestris	fruit unripe		77.42	1.04		1.27
Corchorus olitorius	leaves raw	243	80.4	4.5	2.0	2.4	0.3	12.4	10.4	80	6410		122	360		7.2		0.15	0.53	1.2
Corchorus olitorius	leaves dried	1000	20.2	19.0		9.1	1.6	50.1		2.0			525	1540		8.0
Corchorus olitorius	leaves raw	180	86.1	5.6	1.7					55	7900			270		7.7
Corchorus trilocularis	leaves raw		86.91	3.36	1.43	1.83				7.55	3562
Cordia sinensis	fruit		12.06	25.89	26.38	5.32	5.01	68.98				2125	3500	1250	1250	275	125				28.41
Cordia sinensis	berry ripe	2015	8.79	16.59	6.81		5.25	27.11	44.24
Crotalaria brevidens	leaves raw		74.5	8.8	1.6	1.6								222		0.8
Crotalaria brevidens	leaves raw			4.55						122	5800			270		38
Crotalaria ochroleuca	leaves raw		74.5	8.8		1.6
Cucumis dipsaceus	leaves raw	146	89.9	1.0	tr.	0.8	0.7	7.6		21			25	14		1.0		0.03	0.05
Cyperus blysmoides	corm sheaths			12.44		12.81	3.14
Dactyloctenium aegyptium	whole seed	1440	11.4	15.7	2.8	2.9	1.9	68.1					460
Dialium orientale	fruit pulp		20.37	2.44		2.83
Dialium orientale	fruit pulp with membrane		20.44	2.16		3.42
Digera muricata var. patentipilosa	leaves raw		88.48	3.2	1.07	2.53				4.85	3800	65.32	73.73	316	190.4	14.9	597.8
Digera muricata ssp. trinervis	leaves raw		88.43	2.89	1.97	2.44	0.04	6.21	4.24	35.17	5719
Dioscorea bulbifera	tuber	326	79.4	1.4	1.2	1.0	0.2	18.0					58	40		2.0
Dioscorea bulbifera	tuber	469	71.0	1.5	0.9	0.9	0.1	26.6					29	69
Dioscorea dumetorum	tuber	519	67.3	3.2	0.8	1.1	0.1	28.3					45	52
Dioscorea minutiflora	tuber	494	64.0	3.0	10	1.5	0.1	27.0					41	69
Diospyros mespiliformis	fruit pulp raw	522.5	64.5	1.0						13			46
Dobera glabra	fruit green		11.04	22.63	19.1	20.66
Eleusine coracana	whole grain red	1373	11.3	7.5	3.4	3.3	1.4	76.5
Eleusine coracana	whole grain white	1444	10.5	9.9	2.7	3.1	4.5	72.0
Eleusine coracana	grain	1377	10.9	7.4	4.3		1.3	77.7			tr.		244	397		17.1		0.18	0.11	0.8
Ficus sycomorus	fruit	227	82.7	1.3	3.6	1.3	0.9	13.8	10.2			3.91	36.5	68.1	42.3	1.94	399
Flacourtia indica	fruit		72.3							0
Grewia bicolor	fruit dry (flesh + skin)	1302	13.2	10.3	13.5	5.9	0.1	70.5	57	9.3		12.4	181	268	317	5.92	1707
Grewia tenax	fruit		59.14	4.5	21.13	4.33	6.8	60.87		161.09	1400	350	2750	1875	1250	125	7500				2.93
Grewia villosa	fruit flesh	443	70	3.3	1.9	2	0.2	24.5	22.6			3.8	41		34.6	1.9	672
Grewia villosa	berries green		84.2	1.6	5.9	1.5	0.1		6.7
Hyphaene compressa	fruit		6.45	1.24	14.95j	8.24	2.74	67.36				3100	3000	1250	2500	275	16250				0
Hyphaene compressa	fruit (mesocarp)		10.73	1.95	15.09	7.5
Hyphaene coriacea	pulp ripe		11.72	4.66	28.86	4.55	3.91		58.02
Ipomoea aquatica	leaves raw		87.95	3.15	1.13	1.3					3063
Ipomoea aquatica	leaves raw		83.54	3.42	2.25	1.81						121.74	61.85	261.5	73.3	11.7	545.7
Ipomoea aquatica	leaves raw	184	85.0	3.3	1.9	2.0	0.4	9.3	7.4				42	180		5.4
Ipomoea aquatica	leaves raw	126	90.0	2.7	1.1					45	2900			60		2.5
Ipomoea longituba	tuber		85.72	4.02	1.61	1.6	0.1	8.56	6.96			6.32	22.85	599	72.61	6	230.6
Ipomoea mombassana	leaves raw		87.3	3.25	1.9	2.16	0.26	7.03	5.13	18.62	5969
Ipomoea mombassana	leaves raw		86		2.1	1.89	0.29				6862
Kedrostis pseudogijef	leaves raw		88	3.0	2.58	2.45	0.20	6.47	3.89	33.87	4505
Lablab purpureus	seed whole dried	1423	10.9	22.8	8.6	3.2	1.0	62.1		tr.			328	90		9.0		0.54	0.14	2.3
Lablab purpureus	pods immature		82.4	4.5	2.0	1.0	0.1	12	10
Lablab purpureus	pulse dry		9.6	24.9	1.4	3.2	0.8	61.5	60.1
Landolphia buchananii	fruit		87.5							18.29
Launaea cornuta	leaves raw		88.77	2.66	1.29	2.16				6.06	4609
Launaea cornuta	leaves raw		82.69	3.62	1.98	2.61						1.62	48.47'	355.2	121.69	12.72	396.66
Leptadenia hastata	leaves raw	226	81.0	4.9	4.7	2.6	0.2	11.3		78	4915		94	417		5.4		0.25	0.35	1.9
Maerua decumbens	fruit ripe	1990		24.18	16.57	1.85	1.48		51.18
Nymphaea lotus	root	502	64	5.2	1.0	1.1	0.2	29.5					151	93
Ocimum basilicum	leaves	313.5	77.1	5.5	2.1	5.2	1.4	13.9
Oxygonum salicifolium	leaves raw		88.69	2.3	1.68	2.1				10.16	3250
Pennisetum glaucum	grain whole dried	1427	12.0	10.4	1.9	2.0	4.0	71.6		3	tr.		286	22		20.7		0.3	0.22	1.7
Portulaca oleracea	leaves raw	96	90.6	2.4	0.8	2.5	0.3	4.2		58			31	104		1.4		0.03	0.15
Portulaca oleracea	leaves raw	142	87.5	2.2	1.1					20	1300			115		1.4
Salvadora persica	fruit		10.72	14.77	4.03	8.82	5.27	49.31				725.	2500	875	125	300	875				49.27
Sclerocarya birrea	flesh	225	85	0.5	1.2	0.9	0.4	13.2	12	194		2.24	11.5	20.1	25.3	0.5	317
Sclerocarya birrea	nut	2703	4	28.3	2.9	3.8	57.3	6.6	3.7			3.81	808	118	462	4.87	601
Sclerocarya birrea	fruit pulp raw		87.0							179
Sclerocarya birrea ssp caffra	fruit raw	126	91.7	0.5	0.5	0.2	0.1	7.5		68			19	6		0.1		0.03	0.05	0.2
Sesamum calycinum	leaves raw		76.51	5.60	2.23	2.23	0.62	15.04	12.81	47.06	8302	2.32	59.95	373.5	168.9	35.22	410
Sesamum orientale (S. indicum)	seed whole dried	2336	5.2	17.9	4.5	6.2	48.4	22.3		tr.	30		600	816		8.1
Sesamum orientale (S. indicum)	seed		5	22			50
Solanum nigrum	leaves raw	159	87.2	4.3	1.3	2.0	0.8	5.7		20	3660		75	442		1.0
Solanum nigrum	leaves raw	184	85	4.6	1.1					30	1700			215		4.2
Sorghum bicolor	grain whole brown	1431	9.5	10.3	2.4	2.9	2.9	74.4	72
Sorghum bicolor	grain whole red	1419	11.5	9.8	2.3	2.0	3.1	73.6	71.3		10		318	30		15.6		0.29	0.28	3.7
Sorghum bicolor	grain whole while	1431	11.0	9.8	2.4	2.0	3.2	74.0	71.6				320	40		5.8		0.21
Stathmostelma propinquum	tuber (semi-dry)			4.29	6.8	11.25	1.12	83.34	76.54
Strychnos innocua	fruit		70.6							14
Strychnos spinosa	fruit	305	78.8	2.7	1.4	1.8	0.1	16.6	15.2	10.6		4.55	22.6	45.8	43.6	0.75	328
Strychnos spinosa	fruit	301	79.7	1.6	0.6	1.0	0.6	17.1	18				42	28		0.7		0.11	0.17	1.9
Syzygium guineense	fruit		88.1
Tamarindus indica	fruit raw	285	80.2	2.0	8.4	1.0	0.2	16.6	8.2	8			97	60
Tamarindus indica	fruit dried	1130	21.3	5.0	18.3	2.4	0.6	70.7	52.4	9	60		190	166		2.2		0.18	0.09	0.6
Tamarindus indica	Fruit pulp		20.6	3.1	3.0	2.1	0.4	73.8	70.8
Tamarindus indica	seeds			16.0			5.5
Thylachium thomasii	tuber		76.12	4.87	2.44	2.60	0.12	16.29	13.85			150.56	57.31	397	206.44	0.84	506.26
Urtica massaica	leaves raw		80.45	5.79	1.82	3.26				138.6	8116
Vangueria madagascariensis	fruit green		11.96	9.75	43.93	7.27
Vangueria infausta	fruit	498	64.4	1.4	4.7	1.4	0.1	32.7	28	4.7		28.1	36.6	24.9	39.1	1.07	521
Vatovaea pseudolablab	leaves raw		83.44	5.41	2.89	1.69	0.66	8.81	5.91	113.69	5177
Vernonia cinerea	leaves raw		89.32	2.8	1.16	2.41				6.07	2515.5
Vigna membranacea caesia	leaves dry			26.25	17.3	12.13	3.0	58.63	41.33
Vigna membranacea caesia	leaves raw		80.9	6.56	2.0	2.83	0.37	9.34	7.34		4812.5
Vigna unguiculata	leaves raw	142	88.4	4.2	1.7					35	2400			110		4.7
Vigna unguiculata	pulse dry		11.0	23.4	3.9	3.6	1.3	60.7	56.8
Vigna unguiculata	pods young green		86.2	3.4	1.8	0.9	0.3	9.2	7.4
Vigna unguiculata	leaves		84.4	4.7	1.8	2.0	0.3	4.3		87
Vigna unguiculata	leaves raw	184	85	4.7			0.3			56	7970		63	256
Vigna unguiculata	leaves dried	950	10.6	22.6			3.2			86			348	1556
Vigna unguiculata ssp unguiculata	seeds dried	1415	11.4	22.4	5.4	3.7	1.4	61.0	55.6	2			416	104				0.08	0.09	4.0
Vitex doniana	fruit	435	70.6	0.7	1.3	0.9	0.4	' 27.4		9			47	34		2.7		0.02
Vitex doniana	fruit	1031		0.3	27	5.5	0.8						50
Vitex payos	fruit	63								1.95	593.75
Ximenia americana	fruit	556	64.8	2.8	1.2	1.9	0.8	29.7	28.5	69.7	680	3.36	34.2	7.58	31.1	1.27	718
Ximenia americana var. Caffra	fruit	37.4	77.4	1.9	0.9	1.3	1.5	17.9	17.0	68.2		1.25	35.4	8.17	19.0	0.49	558	0.03	3.02
Zanthoxylum chalybeum	fruit dry		10.98	8.5		5.52	7.75	67.26				13.65	196.0	964.0	285.3	21.81	1460
Ziziphus mauritiana	fruit semi-dry	1005	30.8	3:7	2.8	2.4	0.1	63.0		35	0		64	170		3.1		0.02		2.1
Ziziphus mauritiana	fruit dried	1201	17.4	4.3	3.4	2.8	0.1	75.4		24	0		56.0	210		3.0		0.03	0.02	2.1
Ziziphus mauritiana	fruit dry	565		1.2	1.5		0.3			400			110
Ziziphus mucronata	fruit	1695		4.4	11.4	4.3	21.8						120
Ziziphus mucronata	fruit	653	56.4	5.6	2.0	3.2	0.4	34.4	32.4	86.4		2.82	32.0	80.9	54.9	0.89	57.1

These data are from a number of sources listed in the Bibliography.

Key
b-carotein eq	p-carotene equivalent
Ca	calcium
CHO	carbohydrates
Fe	iron
K	potassium
Mg	magnesium
Na	sodium
NFE	nitrogen-free extract
niac	niacin
ribo	riboflavin
thi	thiamine
tr.	trace
kJ	kilojoules
g	grams
mg	milligrams
mg	micrograms