International Journal of Advanced Science and Research 9 International Journal of Advanced Science and Research ISSN: 2455-4227, Impact Factor: RJIF 5.12 www.allsciencejournal.com Volume 2; Issue 3; May 2017; Page No. 09-12 Biochemical and nutritive analysis of underutilized green leafy vegetable - Beta Vulgaris, L. M. Suganya, T. Anitha, A. B. Lasyaja, P. Gayathri, S. Chithra, Lintu Thomas M. Sc Botany, Nirmala College for Women, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India Abstract The beetroot is a traditional and popular vegetable in many parts of the world. It is, especially rich in fiber as well as in sugar, but has a moderate caloric value. Beet leaves are rich source of potent nutrient, potassium and vitamin A, K and C, which are important for cardiovascular health. Beetroot leaves are used to reduce blood pressure, as a tool to fight against cancer. The main objective of this study is to analyze the biochemical, vitamins and mineral composition and compare with the RDA value and beetroot. The present study revealed that Beta vulgaris, L. leaves can be suggested to children, adults, pregnant womens and diabetes patients. Keywords: Green leafy vegetable, Beta vulgaris, L. biochemical and nutritive values 1. Introduction Nutrition is a science of food and its relationship to health. Nutrition refers to nourishment that sustains life. The nutrient requirements and the diet providing requirements are also known as nutrition. Proper nutrition is required for prevention of illness as well as for treatment of the illness. The body needs the protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins and minerals only through the intake of plants. In common, food is the most efficient way of obtaining the energy and nutrients. The food we eat consists mainly of cereals, fruits and vegetables. Green leaves are ideal for weight management as they are typically low in calories. The high level of Vitamin K is important for the production of a protein essential for bone health. Green leafy vegetables are a major source of iron and calcium for any diet. The leafy vegetables have been used in prevention of chronic diseases, such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The present study aims to explore the underutilized green leafy vegetable of Beta vulgaris, L. 1.1 Review of Literature Bhupinder Singh and Bahadur Singh Hathan (2014) [2] reported chemical composition, functional properties and processing of beetroot Dried beetroots can be consumed directly in the form of chips as a substitute of traditional snacks. Joao Silva Dias (2012) studied nutritional quality and health benefits of vegetables. The article makes a review and discusses the nutritional quality and health benefits of the major groups of vegetables. More interdisciplinary work is required that involves nutritional and food scientists as well as biomedical fields. Parpinello et al., (2004) [11] reviewed characterization of sugar beet. Proteins are natural components of sugar beet root leaf. It approaches to estimate the effectiveness of protein extraction was proposed. Kumkum agarwal and Ranjana varma (2014) [7] reviewed the biochemical screening of beetroot leaf. Nidhal Maraie et al., (2014) [10] observed the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the plant extracts which can be applied clinically for treatment of many topical diseases. Kenneth Richardson (2014) [6] studied preliminary evaluation of the leaf and nutrient composition of beetroot indicates the excellent sources of nutrition and can be recommended as a part of our balanced diet. 2. Materials and Method 2.1 Collection of plants The young leaves of Beta vulgaris, L. were collected from Nilgiri District, Kotagiri (Plate: 1) during the month of December (2016). 2.2 Preparation of the sample The collected leaves were washed in running tap water and distilled water. The leaves were spread on newspaper to remove the excess water. Then the leaves were shade dried, powdered and stored in air tight container for further analysis. Plate: 1 The Carbohydrate, Starch, Protein, Amino acid, Vitamins and Minerals were analyzed in the laboratory by following standard methods.