THE ASSESSMENT OF VITAMIN CONTENTS OF ANNONA MURICATA LEAVES

Vitamins are essential micronutrients required in small quantities to maintain normal physiological and biochemical processes in the body. Deficiency or imbalance of these micronutrients is associated with several metabolic and degenerative disorders. In recent years, there has been increasing scientific interest in evaluating the nutritional and therapeutic potentials of medicinal plants, especially those used in traditional medicine, as alternative sources of natural vitamins and antioxidants. This study was therefore designed to assess the vitamin composition of Annona muricata (soursop) leaves, a plant widely used in ethnomedicine for managing various ailments, in order to scientifically validate its nutritional value and possible health benefits. Fresh soursop leaves were collected from the premises of Gregory University, Uturu, authenticated by a botanist in the Department of Biological Sciences, and processed following standard laboratory procedures. The leaves were washed, air-dried under room temperature, pulverized, and extracted using analytical-grade solvents. Quantitative determination of both water-soluble (B-complex and C) and fat-soluble (A, D, and E) vitamins was carried out using validated spectrophotometric and chromatographic methods (HPLC). Each sample analysis was performed in triplicate, and the data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis using descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA) at a 95% confidence level (p < 0.05). The results showed that Annona muricata leaves contain appreciable quantities of essential vitamins in varying concentrations. The most abundant vitamin was vitamin E (106.90 ± 2.42 mg/L), followed by vitamin C (27.85 ± 0.29 mg/L) and vitamin D (13.49 ± 0.46 mg/L). Moderate amounts of vitamin A (11.73 ± 0.15 mg/L) and vitamin B12 (7.15 ± 0.13 mg/L) were recorded, while vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6 occurred in trace quantities (0.21 – 0.27 mg/L). The predominance of vitamins E and C indicates strong antioxidant potential, suggesting that the leaves could play a protective role against oxidative stress and free-radical-induced cellular damage. The presence of vitamins A and D further enhances the plant’s potential benefits for vision, immune regulation, and bone metabolism. The findings from this study reveal that Annona muricata leaves are a rich natural source of both fat- and water-soluble vitamins, supporting their use in herbal medicine and their potential inclusion in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical formulations. The high vitamin E content in particular validates previous reports of antioxidant activity associated with soursop extracts. This research therefore provides a scientific basis for the nutritional relevance of A. muricata leaves and contributes valuable baseline data for further biochemical, pharmacological, and nutritional investigations on the plant.