In most developing countries, the inappropriate cultivation of edible plants at roadside is neglected. Automobile pollutants, such as particulate matter and heavy metals are toxic chemicals that affect plants and subsequently humans and animals. Manihot esculenta is a popular shrub grown mostly on roadside. Results of comparative proximate analysis carried out on the leaves of manihot esculenta, showed decrease in protein content, 2.188 %, fiber content 2.400%, lipid content 1.113%, moisture content 52.400%, compared to control samples of 5.075%, 4.540%, 1.769%, and 67.997% respectively, and however an increase in percentage ash content 9.767% of the leaves of the plant highly exposed to pollution from automobiles, compared to control with ash content of 6.418%. Therefore growing of plants close to road should be restricted.
1.1 Introduction
In this section, Proximate Analysis on Leaves of Cassava Plant Obtained from a Road Side Farm is discussed, with relevant and recent citations. As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the aim and objectives of the study. Others are significance of the study, scope of work, research hypothesis and questions, limitation of the study and definition of terms.