DETERMINATION OF PHYTOCHEMICAL AND NUTRITIONAL CONSTITUENTS OF THREE COMMONLY USED SPICES IN ULI

The aim of this study is to determine the phytochemical and nutritional composition of three major spices sold in Uli Anambra state Nigeria. Garlic, ginger and tumeric powder were purchased from local market in Uli and the proximate and phytochemical analysis were carried out using the standard AOAC, 2010 method.. The proximate composition of the three spices shown no significant different (P < 0.01) among all the proximate parameters with moisture ranging from 7.70% in tumeric -8.55% in garlic, ash ranged from 4.80-8.35%, crude protein ranged from 8.58-11.70%, fats and oil ranged from 2.72-12.00%, fiber ranged from 5.10-6.25% while carbohydrate ranged from 54.65-67.50%. The results of the quantitative phytochemistry of garlic, ginger and tumeric spices. The spicesconstitutes respectively; alkaloids (0.97, 1.80and 3.60mg/100g) terpenoids (17.50, 1.41 and 1.47mg/100g), steroids (0.16, 0.09 and 2.12mg/100g), phenols (64.52, 7.19 and 8.81mg/100g), tannins (8.94, 2.13 and 1.62mg/100g), flavonoids (11.18, 13.50 and 6.58mg/100g) and saponins (4.50, 6.41 and 7.40mg/100g). The findings indicate that spices is a potential source of highly nutritious feed stuff and phytomedicine. They are of nutritional, clinical and veterinary relevance considering the diverse ethnopharmacological uses of the plant in different parts of the world. They are of nutritional, clinical and veterinary relevance considering the diverse ethnopharmacological uses of the spices in different parts of the world.