ASSESSMENT OF NICKEL LEVELS IN CASSIA OCCIDENTALIS AND LEPTADENIA HASTATA USED AS FOOD IN NORTHERN NIGERIA Sheshe, S.M 1 ., Bello, H.J 1,2 ,Kiyawa, S.A 3 ., Maigoro, A.Y 1 ., Labbo, A.M 1,4 ., Dangambo, M.A* 5 1 Departmenn of Bioscience, COMSATS institute of Information Technology, Islamabad 2 Deparment of Biomathematics, National Mathematical Centre, Abuja 3 Department of Chemistry, Northwest University, Kano 4 Deapartment of Biochemistry, Sokoto State University, Sokoto 5 Department of Biochemistry, Bayero University, Kano. BACKGROUND -To confirm the presence of nickel in leaves of the plant C. Occidentalis and L. hastata obtained at Panshekara area of Kano state -To determine the toxicity levels of nickel in leaves of the medicinal plant of study. OBJECTIVES ABSTRACT The plant was obtained at Panshekara Area, located at Kumbottso Local Government Area of Kano state in Nigeria. Leaves of plant were taken to Botanical Garden of Bayero University Kano for Identification. The plant was identified and assigned a vocher registration number of BUK HAN 248. The leaves were oven dried and subjected to ashing and digestion with perchloric acid. The quantitative elemental analysis was carried out using atomic absorption spectrometry METHODOLOGY These plants are widely used in Northern Nigeria as food as well as traditional medicine. From the result of the study the level of the assessed nickel in the leaves of the plants were said to be within accepted range. Aliyu., Nuhu, A.A. (2008). Effects of Cassia occidentalis aqueous leaf extract on Biochemical markers of tissue damage in rats: Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 7 (4): 1137-1142 Ibrahim, H.A., Aliyu, G.Y., Halilu, S.N., Usaini, S. and Abdullahi, I.I. (2012). Ethanobotanical survey of wild edible food plant consumption among local communities in Kano state north-western Nigeria; Journal of science and technology 2: 713-717 Togola, A., Austerheim, I., Theis ,A., Diallo, D. and Paulsen, B.S. (2009) Ethanophamarcological uses of erythrina senegalensis: a comparison of three areas in mali and a link between traditional knowledge and modern biological science. African Journal of medicinal sciences. VOL.1 pp. 9-12 Nickel is a heavy metal whose toxicity level is associated with lung cancer, larynx cancer and prostate cancer, heart disorders, birth defects and respiratory failure. This research was aimed to study nickel levels in two commonly used plants (Cassia occidentalis and Leptadenia hastata) as medicine and food in northern Nigeria.The Leaves were oven dried, grinded, sieved and transferred into sample bottles followed by ashing and digestion using perchloric acid method. The levels of Nickel in the leaves were determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. The results were compared using t-test and levels of Nickel in Leptadenia hastata (20.0 ± 4.000 in mg/kg) was statistically insignificant compared to Cassia occidentalis (23.3 ± 7.638 in mg/kg). From the present study, it was established that the Nickel levels of both plants were within accepted range as recommended by World Health organization (WHO). Plants have being used as food as well as medicine for millions years and some plants contain certain heavy metals such as Pb, As, Zn, etc. Cassia occidentalis is used as food (vegetable) (Aliyu and Nuhu, 2008) and medicinal plant for treatment of many diseases such as hepatitis (Ibrahim et al., 2012). Decoction of the leaves of L. hastata with the bark of Erythrina senegalensis is either taken orally or used as a medicinal bath to treat onchocercosis in Mali (Togola et al.,2009). High levels and bioaccumulation of heavy metals can lead to many diseases (Oluyemi et al., 2008). RESULTS REFERENCES CONCLUSION