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biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

Amaranthus thunbergii

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Core Eudicots > Order: Caryophyllales > Family: Amaranthaceae > Subfamily: Amaranthoideae > Amaranthus

An annual herb native to southern Africa, where is is found throughout the region and is eaten as a leafy vegetable. In Setswana and Sesotho languages, the aerial parts of plants that are eaten as green leafy vegetables are referred to as morogo and Amaranthus thunbergii is one of these.

Nutritional value

Van der Walt et al. (2009) found that there were higher levels of calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc in Amaranthus thunbergii than those recorded from spinach and Swiss chard whereas selenium levels were lower than in the latter two vegetables. Carotenoids levels are reasonably high and similar to those found in spinach. Carotenoids are transformed into vitamin A in the body and hence are nutritionally important. Polyphenols concentrations found in Amaranthus thunbergii are similar to those in commercially grown vegetables. The latter substances are important antioxidants and help to prevent thickening of the arteries (atherogenesis).

Hence, Amaranthus thunbergii, along with Amaranthus hybridus, is a nutritious leafy vegetable, and is especially valuable to resource poor households in rural and peri-urban areas in southern Africa.

Publications

  • van der Walt, A.M., Loots, D.T., Ibrahim, M.I.M. and Bezuidenhout, C.C. 2009. Minerals, trace elements and antioxidant phytochemicals in wild African dark-green leafy vegetables (morogo). South African Journal of Science 105: 444-448.