Nutritional quality evaluation of edible leaves of some promising Colocasia and Alocasia collections

A study aimed at the assessment of biochemical and nutritional status of edible leaves of seventeen collections of edible arolds of Himachal Pradesh viz. Colocasia and Alocasia revealed wide genotypic variability in respect of moisture, protein, ash, crude fat, crude fibre, carbohydrates, starch, total chlorophyll, total carotenolds and ascorbic acid content ranging from 62.15 to 66.45%, 20.65 to 26.25%, 9.85 to 13.95%, 2.01 to 4.16%, 20.54 to 26.15%, 34.17 to 43.36%, 15.64 to 20.61%, 1.53 to 1.91 mg/g, 1.20 to 1.95 mg/100g and 26.35 to 36.08 mg/100g, respectively in Colocasia collections, whereas in Alocasia collections the range of variation in these quality traits was noticed from 62.26 to 66.39%, 19.25 to 26.25%, 9.18 to 13.74%, 2.95 to 3.58%, 21.78 to 26.35%, 35.50 to 43.16%, 15.26 to 20.16%, 2.42 to 4.45%, 1.01 to 1.96 mg/g, 1.40 to 2.01 mg/100g and 21.16 to 32.60 mg/100g accordingly. The promising collections which emerged superior most with regard to individual quality attribute were identified as C-7, AC-4 In moisture, C-4, AC-5 and A-6 in crude protein. C-6, AC-2 in ash, C-7 and AC-7 In crude fat, C-6, A-6 -in crude fibre C-6, AC-1 in carbohydrate, C-4, AC-3 in starch, C-2, AC-7 in total sugars, total carotenolds and total chlorophyll content in that order.