Available online at http://www.ifgdg.org Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci. 16(1): 430-439, February 2022 ISSN 1997-342X (Online), ISSN 1991-8631 (Print) © 2020 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved. 8428-IJBCS DOI : https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/ijbcs.v16i1.36 Original Paper http://ajol.info/index.php/ijbcs http://indexmedicus.afro.who.int Assessment of macro and micro elements present in three commonly eaten vegetables in Nigeria Taiwo Ayomipo ADENEGAN-ALAKINDE 1 and Funmilola Mabel OJO 2* 1 Department of Biology, Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, Ondo State, Nigeria. 2 Department of Biological Sciences (Botany), Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Ondo State, Nigeria. * Corresponding author; E-mail: olufunmilola_07@yahoo.co.uk Received: 26-01-2020 Accepted: 20-05-2021 Published: 28-02-2022 ABSTRACT The study investigated the nutritive elements of four species of Basella and two other commonly eaten vegetables (Amaranthus hybridus and Talinum triangulare). The vegetables are found throughout the year. The mineral compostion of the vegetables was carried out using standard procedures to determine which of these would be of more health benefit to the consumers. Leaves were collected at the initiation of flowering and air- dried under shade for 7 days after which they were kept in an oven at 60 o C for 24 hours. These dried materials were mechanically powdered and stored in airtight containers until used for analysis. The phosphorous content of the vegetables ranged from 83.95±0.01 to 136.30±0.01 mg/100g. The potassium content ranged from 733.20±17.7 mg/100g to 4084.20+0.03 mg/100g. Sodium content in the vegetables ranged from 89.25±0.04 to 241.50±0.02 mg/100g. Zinc content ranged from 8.00+2 mg/100g to 28.90+4 mg/100g. The mineral contents of the Basella forms are comparable to Amaranthus hybridus and Talinum triangulare. Overlap observed in the values of the nutrient elements suggests interspecies relationship. Copper was present in Basella rubra and Amaranthus hybridus, while Molybdenum was absent in all. This study revealed that the consumption of these vegetables is dependent on the dietary need of the users. © 2020 International Formulae Group. All rights reserved. Keywords: Consumption, diet, nutrient, values, vegetables. INTRODUCTION Green leafy vegetables are important in the diet of Africans and Nigerians in particular because they are rich in essential nutrients and energy. They contain both essential and toxic elements over a wide range of concentrations (Okorondu et al., 2013) which can be successfully utilized to build up and repair the body as well as maintain alkaline reserve of the body (Okolo et al., 2015). They also act as buffering agents for acidic substances produced during the digestion process (Badau et al., 2013. Most vegetables add taste and flavour to the monotonous starchy foods and some are rich in essential oils, glycosides and pigments which stimulate appetite. The large number of species and varieties of vegetables are raw materials for preparing a variety of soups, thus, improving the range of enriching food. The chemical composition of vegetables shows high water content, sugars, protein,