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ABSTRACT

The proximate composition and analysis of cucumber and spinach leaves was to assess the nutritional value of cucumber and spinach leaves by analysis the amino acid profile and mineral constituents. The results showed that cucumber have the moisture content of 96% and spinach 95%, fat content 2.4% on cucumber while spinach leaves 4.6%, crude fiber content on cucumber 44% and spinach 41.5%, Ash content of cucumber 99% and spinach leaves 138.9 respectively. Based on these finding, cucumbers and spinach are good source of vitamins and minerals needed for building of the body.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the Study

Spinach is vegetable fruit which can be produce fresh. Many fruits that are in a botanical sense are true fruits that are actually treated as vegetables, these culinary vegetables include cucurbits, e.g (Squash, cucumber and spinach). The spinach is thought to have originated in India -where it is found wild and is cultivated in many diverse forms. Accessions of cucumis satinus L. Var hardwickl is related to the original ancestors of the spinach Maynard et al., (2000). Secondary centers of diversity for the spinach exist in China and near east. Species are cucumis hystrix from China and the African. Cucumis hystrix from china and the African cucumis, such as cucumber (Spinach and Wild relative (Douglas et al., 2010).

Spinach and cucumber were probably domesticated in Asia and then introduces in the 1700s. Cucumbers were brought to America by Christopher Columbus. The spinach is grown for its fruit which are eaten fresh or picked in most countries but which are also eaten fried. Bater et al (1990) slicing and picking of spinach and cucumber fruits are mostly water but they provide some vitamin A and C, especially when picked with dill and other species. Spinach and cucumber are the ideal food for people having trouble with body weight because it is mostly water and some fibers and few calories cucumber cause barging and mild stomach upset in people when eaten raw but not when soaked in vinegar or pickled before eating.

Spinach (Spinacia Oleracea) is an edible following plant in the family of Amaranthaceae. It is native to central and south western Asia. It is an annual plant (rarely biennia), which grows to a height of up to 30cm. Spinach may leaves are alternate, simple, ovate to triangular-based, very variable in size from about 2 – 30cm long and 1.15cm broad, with large leaves at the base of the plant and small leaves higher on the flowering stem. The flowers are inconspicuous. Yellow green, 3 – 4mm diameter maturing into a small, hard, dry, lumpy fruit eluster 5 – 10mm across containing several seeds )Common spinach, spinacia oleracea, was long considered to be in the chinopodiaceae family, but in 2003 the chinopodiaceae family was combined with the Amarantuaceae family under the family name ‘Amarantuaceae’ in the order caryophyllaes. Within the Amaratuaceae family there are now a subfamily Amaratuoldeae and a subfamily chenopodioideae, for the amaratus and the chenopods, respectively (Rosemary et al, 1995).