标题：Vitamin A Content of Southeastern Nigerian Vegetable Dishes, Their Consumption Pattern and Contribution to Vitamin A Requirement of Pregnant Women in Calabar Urban, Nigeria
摘要：The frequency of consumption of six dark green leafy vegetables (DGLV), their vitamin A values, and the relative contribution of these vegetables to vitamin A requirement of pregnant women in Calabar urban was assessed. A total of 101 pregnant women attending clinic at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Calabar were covered. Using a food-frequency questionnaire, the consumption pattern of the DGLV was assessed. The study revealed that 100% of the women used the six leafy vegetables chiefly in form of soups and pottages. Ikong ubong ( Telfairia occidentalis ), Mon-mon ikong ( Talinum triangulare ) and Afang ( Gnetum africanum ) were extensively consumed by the women with slight variation in their patterns of consumption, while Inyang afia ( Amaranthus hybridus ), Atama ( Heinsia crinita ) and Editan ( Lasianthera africana ) were less frequently consumed. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed the following values of vitamin A in μg RE/100g for the vegetables: Ikong ubong 860±0.10, Mon-mon ikong 39±0.04, Inyang afia 853±0.19, Afang 44±0.18, Atama 26±0.04 and Editan 36±0.04. Also, Ikong soup with a vitamin A value of 4759.75±672 μg RE/100g per portion size (200g) made the highest contribution (255 %) to the vitamin A requirement of the pregnant women, while Atama as Abak ( Elaeis guinensis pulp puree) soup (portion size: 150g) with a vitamin A value of 214.33±46 μg RE/100g made the least contribution (12%) to vitamin A requirement in the women. The usual dietary habit of pregnant women in Calabar can sustain their vitamin A status because with the only exception of Atama (Abak soup), a portion size of each of the other green vegetables contain higher levels of vitamin A than the required daily intake of the women.
