Introduction 

Nutrition is the provision for the cells of organism to support life.  Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with good nutrition.  Some nutrients  are required on a regular basis, while others are needed less frequently.  Poor health can be caused by an imbalance of nutrients, whether an excess or a deficiency. Availability of vitamin nutrients in regular diet is very important. Vitamins are required to all living organisms including human and their consumption through diet fulfill the requirements of body¹. Tribals and rural people know and also used number of wild edible plant.  If we used these plant in daily diet may help to decrease the disorders caused by nutritional deficiencies. Deficiency of vitamins still occur in developed countries, it is due to poor nutritional diet in developing and poorly developed countries. Some of the deficiencies are induced by diseases or drugs².  To maintain health, vitamins are supplied by beans and fruits in various forms. Vegetables also supply various   types of vitamins together and are consider as an excellent natural food. This study was undertaken to estimate vitamins from Leea macrophylla Roxb

Materials and Methods 

Leea macrophylla Roxb was collected from Melghat region during 2008-09. Particularly plant material collected from chikhaldara in Amravati district,  where the temperature noted 25⁰c at height 822 feets.  After the complete identification, description and noting of significance of each plant was taken for investigation.  Fresh as well as shade dried plant material was used for estimation of vitamins by using spectrophotometer and fluorometer³.

Moisture contents 

The moisture content is the amount of water present in plant material.  The moisture percentage in material was determined by simple method.  10g of material was shade dried and weighed after drying.  The difference in weight of fresh sample taken minus dry matter gives percentage of moisture as given in table I.

% Moisture content  =            [Loss in weight / Fresh weight of sample taken]  x 100

Results and Discussion 

Good health is a product of heredity, environment and nutrition.  The human body is balance system, if it does not receive enough or if it receives too much of a nutrient, its balance can be disturbed⁴. Sincere efforts were made to estimate vitamins from Leea macrophylla Roxb.

The values of vitamins obtained were converted into per 100g fresh weighed sample.  A daily requirements of thiamine in infants 0.5 mg, in children 0.7 – 1.2 mg in adult male and female 1-1.1mg ⁵.

Thiamine was noted in fresh leaves  was 354mg/100 gm (Table II ) and in fresh root was 51 mg/100 gm (Table III) while dry leaves and root contain  9.9mg/100g and 25mg/100g thiamine respectively.

The daily requirement of riboflavin is 1.6 mg for the adult male and 1.2 mg for the female. Riboflavin was found in fresh leaves 0.026 mg/100 gm   and in root 0.5 mg/ 100 gm (Table I I) . In dry leaves and root it was found to be 0.21 mg / 100 gm  and 0.157 mg. / 100 gm (Table III).

The Recommended dietary allowance of ascorbic acid is 90mg per day.  Vitamin C was noted 5240 mg / 100 g in fresh leaves and 620mg/100g in root (Table I I). Also it found 1140 mg/100 g in dry leaves and 220mg/100g in dry root (Table III).

The daily requirement of vitamin-B₁₂ is 2 µ gm in adult⁶. Fresh leaves and root contain 0.0002mg/100g and 0.035/100g where as dry leaves  and root contain 0.0006mg/100g and 0.0003/100g vitamin –B₁₂ respectively.

Leea macrophylla Roxb. contain highest amount of vitamin C than the other vitamins. Vitamin C is maintaining collagen protein necessary for the formation of connective tissue in skin, ligaments and bones.  It protect the thiamine, riboflavin from oxidation .Thus Leea macrophylla Roxb plays vital role in nutrition point of view.

Table 1:  Moisture Content.

 Table 2: Vitamin content of Leea macrophylla Roxb :  Table – II From fresh plant material.

Table 3: From dry plant material

References 

1. K.M. Nadkarni, Indian material medica. Popular prakashan pvt. Ltd., 415 (2005)
2. N.A.Boon, N.R. Colledge, B.R. Walkor, Principles and practice of medicines. 20^th edition, Edinburg London new york on ford philadelephia st. louis Sydney       toranto, 121-127 (2006).
3. S.R. Thimmaiah,Standard methods of biochemical analysis. kalyani publishers, 273- 274; 279-280 (1990).
4. J.L. Dunne, Nutrition alwance. Mc GRAW HIL.L, 44-45 (1990).
5. A.C. Deb , Fundamentals of Biochemistry. A Sen New Central book agency    Calcutta, 431, 437 (1990).
6. H.Singh and V.K.Kapoor, Medical and Pharmaceutical Chemistry.Vallabh Prakashan SU-211,Pitampura, Delhi 532-566 (2001)