Cowpea is a legume whose grains are widely consumed as rich sources of protein and other nutrients in some parts of the continent. Recent surveys have also shown that cowpea leaves are relished as vegetable in Southern and Eastern Africa as well as Middle belt areas of Nigeria. Protein, calorie and mineral deficiencies such as marasmus, kwashiorkor and anaemia are reported to characterize malnutrition in many parts of Africa. For instance, amongst the health benefits of cowpea leaves, low glycemic index carbohydrates and vegetable-derived nutrients are known to prevent or combat cancer, hypertension, stroke, diabetes, insomnia, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, anencephaly, rickets and could enhance cardiac health and metabolic wellbeing. However, in eastern Nigeria, consumption of cowpea as leafy vegetable is largely non-existent probably due to dearth of information on its nutrients composition and possible health benefits amongst other factors. As part of efforts to create awareness to stimulate and warrant its adoption, utilization and consumption as leafy vegetable in eastern Nigeria, this study aims to document the nutrient composition of cowpea leaves grown in the area; and to highlight the potential human health benefits attendant from consumption of these nutrients. The study was carried out in the University greenhouse, with cowpea variety IAR-48 grown in heat sterilized topsoil contained in 20 cm pots arranged in completely randomized design replicated four times. The whole experiment was repeated twice. At 8 weeks after planting, tender leaves of the crop were harvested from the mid section of the crop, enveloped and later used for nutrient analyses. Chemical and nutrient profiling of the cowpea leaves tissues were done based on analytical and standard spectrometric methods and was carried out in triplicate determinations. Findings from this study indicated that cowpea leaves contained protein (34.91%), low glycemic index carbohydrates (31.11 %), prebiotics (19.46 %), fat (5.42 %), iron (65.21 mg), calcium (1.62 g), phosphorus (0.56g), magnesium (1.66 g), potassium (13.445 g) and sodium (2.22 g). Based on literature, these amounts of nutrients were sufficient to offset most of the recommended daily intakes (RDIs) of these nutrients in human diets. Though the anti-nutrient factors were not conducted in this study, previous investigators have shown that cowpea leaves contain low amounts of anti-nutrient factors, hence, findings from this study therefore support the adoption, utilization and consumption of cowpea leaves as vegetable in eastern parts of Nigeria.

Fungi (mycota) are cosmopolitan and ubiquitous decomposers of organic materials in nature and many species in the kingdom are capable of causing devastating plant diseases. In recent times, several plant pathogenic fungi have been reported pathogenic to humans; and infections induced by these organisms can occur in both relatively healthy individuals as well as in those with serious underlying medical conditions or undergoing some forms of chemotherapy. Infections in the latter group are in most cases life-threatening and fatal with low survival rates. Thus stirring up public health concerns and posing serious health challenges. These fungal pathogens are recalcitrant and variable in their sensitivity to known antifungal agents such as azoles and amphotericin B, warranting the need to search and explore alternative sources of potential antifungal compounds. In plant pathology, higher plants have been recognized as vast sources of antimycotic agents which are being extensively exploited for the control of attacks of phyto-pathogenic fungi of agricultural crops in both field and storage. Herein, plant attacking mycoflora capable of causing human mycoses were reviewed; and considering their variability in sensitivity to known antifungal drugs; we discussed the importance and need to characterize extracts of higher plants used in controlling phytonotic mycobiota in agriculture as possible sources of novel user-friendly antifungal compounds that can be used to supplement or complement existing medical antimycotics to maintain human health and wellbeing.

Though some secondary metabolites from fungi have found application as antibiotics in modern medicine, majority of these compounds are however known to be hazardous to livestock and human systems. About 400 mycotoxins have been characterized in recent times with each potentially toxic to a biological or human system. Exposure of humans to airborne toxins-carrying spores produced by several species of fungi in water damaged buildings and damp indoor environments have been linked with allergies and sick building syndrome. Contamination of cereals, grains or tubers in the field, transit or store with a broad spectrum of noxious mycotoxins is well reported in literature. Scientific evidences have implicated consumption of such contaminated agricultural products with diseases such as nephropathy, immuno-deficiency, stunted growth, weight loss, onyalai, neural tube defect, CNS depression, kwashiorkor, hepatocellular carcinoma, jaundice, diarrhoea, beriberi and even death. Inhibition of protein synthesis and cell proliferation, inhibition of peptide chain elongation, binding to DNA and uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation, inactivation of ceramide synthase, transferases and other enzymes, and cell wall disruption etc are some of the mechanisms adduced for their toxic activity. With increasing incidence of mycotoxin-related diseases in the developing countries of Africa and other third world economies, concerns about their public health impacts are rife and heightening given that both chronic intermittent and acute exposures are deemed injurious. Therefore an understanding of their modes/mechanisms of injury in biological and human systems will help in tailoring their management in a broad scale.

Cowpea is a multipurpose crop tolerant to drought and salinity. In farming systems it plays important roles of mitigating climate change by sinking greenhouse gases, lowering aluminum toxicity in the rhizosphere and restoring soil fertility. Its haulms, hay, leaves and grains are reported as good sources of nutrients required for proper functioning of metabolic processes in livestock and humans. However, variations in biochemical compositions amongst its aerial organs are thought to exist; and this could affect its possible nutritional values and the attendant health benefits from these organs. The results of the biochemical profiling of cowpea aerial organs in this study indicated the presence at varying degrees of a wide array of nutrients in the organs. It showed that protein occurred in the range (11.21-34.91%), carbohydrates (31.11-54.02%), crude protein (prebiotics) (3.94-22.12%), fat (0.81-5.42%), iron (0.89-65.21 mg/100 g), calcium (1.50-16.15.20 mg/100 g), phosphorus (171.55-554.01 mg), magnesium (0.26-1658.84 mg), potassium (1.03-13,445.25 mg/ 100 g) and sodium (0.13-2,216.10 mg/ 100 g). The results further showed that the leaf was the most nutrient-dense, being especially rich in terms of protein, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and sodium contents; followed by the seed and then stem samples. Though the husk was the least in mean nutrient density, however, the highest levels of crude fibre and carbohydrate contents were recorded in the husk specimen. Amongst leafy vegetables and fruits for human consumption, the leaves and seeds are probably the highest known sources of organic potassium (13.5 g and 1.29 g), phosphorus (554.01 mg and 498.06 mg) and iron (65.21 mg and 11.00 mg) for the leaf and seed respectively which function to alleviate muscle cramps prevent hypertension, stroke, maintain sexual virility, confer strength and fight anaemia. Knowledge of the disparities in nutrient contents of these organs could aid in combining feedstuff for animal nutrition especially during dry season, to formulate feeds for poultry in intensive production systems and to prepare concentrates for infants and the elderly during bouts of famine, wars or natural disasters.