Determination of Nutritive Value and Mineral Elements of some Important Medicinal Plants from Western Part of India

  Background: Medicinal plants viz Tinospora cordifolia (Gulvel), Gymnema sylvester (Morasingi), Tricholepis glaberrima (Brahmdandi) are very important for treatment of diabetes mellitus and other various diseases. These plants have great importance due to their nutritive value and major source of medicines as they have been found through out human history  Objective: Evaluation of Nutritive value and mineral elements of T.cordifolia (Gulvel) , G. sylvester (Morasingi), T. glaberrima (Brahmdandi).  Methods: The nutrients were analyzed by using different biochemical methods while the mineral elements were analyzed by Flame photometry and by using various titration methods.  Results: T. cordifolia (Gulvel), G. sylvester (Morasingi), T. glaberrima (Brahmdandi) showed sufficient mineral elements like P, K, Na, Ca, Fe, Zn, N, Mg and low in Cu, Cr with good nutritive value and rich in carbohydrate enough protein but low in fat contentConclusion: on dry matter basis these medicinal plants shows high nutritive value with maximum percentage of important minerals, which can be used for health care during anemic condition and as food and fodder for livestock.