Saget/Sageti/Dek (Spider flower- Cleome gynandra)

Saget is a common name for a vegetable known as Spider flower (Cleome gynandra). Other common names for the vegetable are; cat�s whiskers, spider flower, spider wisp (English); Chinsaga (Kisii) feuilles caya, mozamb� (French); volatin, masambey, jasm�n de r�o (Spanish) or ????? (in Chinese). It is a species of the cleome family that has sharp, mustard-flavored tender leaves and shoots that are eaten when boiled or in mixture with stews. Saget is quite nutritious and is recommended for everyone. It is rich in beta-carotene, folic acid, ascorbic acid and calcium. It also contains vitamin E, iron, and oxalic acid. In general, its leaves contain about 4.0% protein. Moreover, its leaves have antioxidative properties that can help with inflammatory diseases. Owing to these properties saget has been used in many African communities particularly by pregnant and breastfeeding women. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is sometimes used as a medicinal herb. The leaves and shoots form an important part of diets in Kenya and it can be found in most open-air markets and supermarkets. It is advisable to consume saget seeds together with the leaves. This is because the seeds are rich in proteins (18�31%) and fats (25�30%). It is rich in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) with oleic and linoleic acid forming 81% of the total fats, hence saget seed oil is a healthy oil.