ABSTRACT
Vegetables have been an important source of food and medicine since time immemorial. They have been reported to be beneficial in the treatment of various diseases. The potentials of vegetables to be used as medicines have been attributed to their phytochemical compositions. This chapter is an account of the investigation of the phytochemical constituents of five indigenous vegetables from Okitipupa local government area of Ondo State, Nigeria: Crassocephalum rubens, Solanum nigrum, Gongronema latifolium, Senecio biafrae, and Clerodendrum volubile. The vegetables were analyzed following standard procedures. C. rubens, S. biafrae, S. nigrum, and C. volu- bile possesses the highest ascorbic acid (++) while G. latifolium had the least ascorbic acid (+). The presence of some minerals is an indication that the vegetables contain mineral elements that may be useful in nutrition. Also, the presence of other phytochemicals attests to the potential therapeutic effects of the vegetables while serving as food for man.
