scholarly journals Retention of B-Carotene from Leafy Vegetables

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (6) ◽  
pp. 99-103
Author(s):  
Haribabu Narra

During the present investigations, effect of table salt on retention of ?-carotene from leafy vegetables from Marathwada was studied. Getting vegetables throughout the year is obscure in rain feed area like Marathwada. Retention of nutrition from vegetables is important for health in absence of in adequate preservation techniques. Five different green leafy vegetables which are consumed by the peoples on large scale have been tried during the present piece of work. These vegetables are Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), Coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.), Shepu (Anathum graveolens L.) and Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata L.) which are commonly consumed in Marathwada region. These vegetables were soaked with solution of common Table salt i.e. Sodium Chloride (NaCl) at different concentrations. After analysis it was noted that in Spinach, Coriander, Trigonella and Anthem. The results obtained during the work clearly indicate that, the common salt can act as excellent preservative for retention of ?-carotene from leafy vegetables.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (15) ◽  
pp. 8444
Author(s):  
Mobeen ◽  
Xiukang Wang ◽  
Muhammad Hamzah Saleem ◽  
Abida Parveen ◽  
Sahar Mumtaz ◽  
...  

The supply of nutrients and proximate matter is insufficient to fulfil the dietary needs of the quickly expanding human population. Green leafy vegetables can prove economical sources of minerals, vitamins and fibers to overcome nutritional deficiencies. Five leafy vegetables (Brassica juncea, Spinacia oleracea, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Chenopodium album and Lactuca sativa) were collected from a horticulture garden and vegetable market for the evaluation of their proximate matter and nutritional composition. Their contents of proximate (moisture, ash, fats, fibers, carbohydrates and protein), minerals (Ca2+, K+ and P+) and anti-nutrients were examined using standard protocols. The contents of fats (0.43 mg g−1f.w.) in S. oleracea; fibers (0.8 mg g−1f.w.) in S. olerace; carbohydrates (0.89 mg g−1f.w.); in B. juncea, proteins (0.91 mg g−1f.w.) in L. sativa; and vitamin A (1.18 mg g−1f.w.) in C. album from the horticulture garden were high enough to meet the daily dietary requirements of adults. Tannins were higher in species collected from the market, which is toxic for human health. It is concluded that vegetables of horticulture garden grown in suitable environmental conditions possess better nutritional composition as compared to vegetables purchased from markets. However, a large-scale research is needed for the analysis of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, anti-nutrients and heavy metals in leafy vegetables. Further research on ethnomedicinal attributes of leafy vegetables is recommended.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 (01) ◽  
pp. 65-76
Author(s):  
Saima Kausar ◽  
Shahla Faizan ◽  
Irfana Haneef

Use of wastewater for irrigation is on the rise in India and other developing countries. Wastewater contains plant nutrients that favour crop growth but leave a burden of heavy metals which can enter the food chain and is a cause of great concern. This study was conducted to explore the possibility of using wastewater to grow four vegetables fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.), spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.), radish (Raphanus sativus L.) and carrot (Daucus carotaL.). Two aspects namely (1) effect on plant growth and yield (2) accumulation of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) in leaves and roots of the plant have been presented in this paper. The physico-chemical analysis of the wastewater showed that it was rich in total suspended and dissolved solids with large amount of BOD and COD. The higher amount of Cl-, Ca++, Mg++ and K+ were also present in the effluent. The heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn) content in wastewater is comparatively more than groundwater (GW). The values of these heavy metals were slightly higher in the soil irrigated with wastewater. The effluent severely affects crop plants and soil properties when used for irrigation. The growth characteristics (plant length, plant fresh and dry weight, leaf number and leaf area) as well as yield characteristics (seed number, 1000 seed weight and seed yield) of all the plants, irrigated with 100% wastewater, were more than that with groundwater. The pattern of increase for the plants was fenugreek greater than radish greater than spinach greater than carrot. Though the wastewater contains low levels of the heavy metals, the soil and plant samples show higher values due to accumulation, but their level was under permissible limits in plants. The trend of metal accumulation in wastewater-irrigated soil is in the order: Pb greater than Ni greater than Zn greater than Cu greater than Cr greater than Cd. Of the four plants that are grown, the order of total heavy metal accumulation in roots is Carrot greater than Radish, while in leaves the order is Spinach greater than Fenugreek. The enrichment factor (EF) of the heavy metals in contaminated soil is in the sequence of Ni (3.1) greater than Pb (2.6) greater than Cd (2.35) greater than Zn (2.18) greater than Cu (1.66) greater than Cr (1.05), while in plants EF varies depending upon the species and plant part. Radish and carrot show a high transfer factor (TF greater than 1) for Cd signifying a high mobility of Cd from soil to plant whereas the TF values for Pb are very low as it is not bioavailable. Thus, it may be concluded that wastewater may be used profitably for the cultivation of these vegetables and could effectively supplement not only the nutrient requirement of the crop but may also act as the source of water..


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 960
Author(s):  
Alessandra Fratianni ◽  
Annacristina D’Agostino ◽  
Serena Niro ◽  
Annarita Bufano ◽  
Bruno Paura ◽  
...  

Lipophilic antioxidants are essential components, which have been pointed as bioactive beneficial for human health. This study aimed at evaluating the effect of domestic cooking (boiling, steaming) on the main carotenoids (lutein and β-carotene) and tocols in four different green leafy vegetables: Sonchus asper L. Hill, Sonchus oleraceus L., Spinacia oleracea L. and Cichorium intybus L. The total content of the analyzed compounds was determined following the method of alkaline hydrolysis of the matrix and solvent extraction. The leaching of soluble solids after domestic cooking was found to determine a gain in the investigated bioactive compounds in the cooked vegetables, so to cause an apparent content increase in all leafy vegetables, when expressed as mg/100 g dry matter. Considering solid losses, all lipophilic compounds were not affected by boiling; on the contrary, steaming slightly significantly decreased the contents of lutein and β-carotene (on average 20 and 15%, respectively).


Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 1806
Author(s):  
Naila Emanuil ◽  
Muhammad Sohail Akram ◽  
Shafaqat Ali ◽  
Mohamed A. El-Esawi ◽  
Muhammad Iqbal ◽  
...  

The accumulation of cadmium (Cd) in edible plant parts and fertile lands is a worldwide problem. It negatively influences the growth and productivity of leafy vegetables (e.g., spinach, Spinacia oleracea L.), which have a high tendency to radially accumulate Cd. The present study investigated the influences of peptone application on the growth, biomass, chlorophyll content, gas exchange parameters, antioxidant enzymes activity, and Cd content of spinach plants grown under Cd stress. Cd toxicity negatively affected spinach growth, biomass, chlorophyll content, and gas exchange attributes. However, it increased malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), electrolyte leakage (EL), proline accumulation, ascorbic acid content, Cd content, and activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) in spinach plants. The exogenous foliar application of peptone increased the growth, biomass, chlorophyll content, proline accumulation, and gas exchange attributes of spinach plants. Furthermore, the application of peptone decreased Cd uptake and levels of MDA, H2O2, and EL in spinach by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes. This enhancement in plant growth and photosynthesis might be due to the lower level of Cd accumulation, which in turn decreased the negative impacts of oxidative stress in plant tissues. Taken together, the findings of the study revealed that peptone is a promising plant growth regulator that represents an efficient approach for the phytoremediation of Cd-polluted soils and enhancement of spinach growth, yield, and tolerance under a Cd-dominant environment.


Author(s):  
Sneha . ◽  
Raj Kishore Kumar ◽  
Jajati Mandal ◽  
M. K. Singh ◽  
Ramjeet Yadav

The present investigation was carried out for “Mitigation of Arsenic concentration in green leafy vegetables viz. Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata), Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis) through different biochemical washing techniques”. The agrarian farmers of Nathnagar block in Bhagalpur district of Bihar mostly cultivate vegetables such as cabbage, spinach, cauliflower etc. The farmers irrigate their farm by the polluted water of Champa-nala (main source of irrigation) which contain huge amount of highly health hazardous waste. The farmers are unaware of the harmful effect of the polluted water that they are using for irrigating vegetables, they feel happy to get the water free of cost for irrigating their crops. The morphology of crop which is irrigated with polluted water seems likely to the crop irrigated with clean water. At maturity, farmers harvest their crops and sell them in their local market which becomes the constituent of our food chain. The results revealed that in cabbage leaf, the maximum concentration of arsenic observed in unwashed samples (T1) was 427.69 ppb, the distance of 50 m away from the contaminated site. The maximum reduction percentage was 27.30% with a mean value of 13.76% observed after employing the treatments T6 (washed with 8% ginger solution). In spinach the maximum concentration of arsenic observed in unwashed samples (T1) was 351.00 ppb, the distance of 50 m away from the contaminated site. The maximum reduction percentage of 30.20% with a mean value of 16.93% of arsenic was observed after employing the treatments T6 (washed with 8% ginger solution) whereas in cauliflower the maximum concentration of arsenic observed in unwashed samples (T1) was 469.06 ppb, the distance of 50 m away from the contaminated site. The maximum reduction of 29.93% with a mean value of 15.37% was observed after employing the treatment T6 (washed with 8% ginger solution). However, the concentrations of Arsenic was higher in unwashed leaves of the vegetables grown in the industrial areas which indicates that industrial discharge causes heavy contamination of soil and eventually their accumulation in plants.


2018 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mario Siervo ◽  
Filippo Scialò ◽  
Oliver M. Shannon ◽  
Blossom C.M. Stephan ◽  
Ammar W. Ashor

CVD are characterised by a multi-factorial pathogenesis. Key pathogenetic steps in the development of CVD are the occurrence of endothelial dysfunction and formation of atherosclerotic lesions. Reduced nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability is a primary event in the initiation of the atherosclerotic cascade. NO is a free radical with multiple physiological functions including the regulation of vascular resistance, coagulation, immunity and oxidative metabolism. The synthesis of NO proceeds via two distinct pathways identified as enzymatic and non-enzymatic. The former involves the conversion of arginine into NO by the NO synthases, whilst the latter comprises a two-step reducing process converting inorganic nitrate $({\rm NO}_3^ - )$ into nitrite and subsequently NO.Inorganic ${\rm NO}_3^ - $ is present in water and food, particularly beetroot and green leafy vegetables. Several investigations have therefore used the non-enzymatic NO pathway as a target for nutritional supplementation (${\rm NO}_3^ - $ salts) or dietary interventions (high-${\rm NO}_3^ - $ foods) to increase NO bioavailability and impact on cardiovascular outcomes. Some studies have reported positive effects of dietary ${\rm NO}_3^ - $ on systolic blood pressure and endothelial function in patients with hypertension and chronic heart failure. Nevertheless, results have been inconsistent and the size of the effect appears to be declining in older individuals. Additionally, there is a paucity of studies for disorders such as diabetes, CHD and chronic kidney failure. Thus, whilst dietary ${\rm NO}_3^ - $ supplementation could represent an effective and viable strategy for the primary and secondary prevention of age-related cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, more large-scale, robust studies are awaited to confirm or refute this notion.


Horticulturae ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Schlering ◽  
Jana Zinkernagel ◽  
Helmut Dietrich ◽  
Matthias Frisch ◽  
Ralf Schweiggert

The current use and distribution of agricultural water resources is highly prone to effects of global climate change due to shifting precipitation patterns. The production of vegetable crops in open field cultivation often requires demanding water applications, being impaired in regions where climate change will increasingly evoke water scarcity. To date, increasingly occurring precipitation-free periods are already leading to moderate water deficits during plant growth, e.g., in southern Europe. Among all vegetable crops, leafy vegetables such as spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) are particularly vulnerable to limited water supply, because leaf expansion is highly dependent on water availability. Besides biomass production, water limitation might also affect the valuable nutritional composition of the produce. Therefore, we investigated the impact of moderately reduced water supply on the chemical composition of spinach, cultivated in the open field in three consecutive years. Two different water supply treatments, full and reduced irrigation, were used in a randomized block design consisting of three sets of six plots each. In the reduced water supply treatment, the total amount of supplied water, including both irrigation and natural precipitation, amounted to 90%, 94% and 96% in 2015, 2016 and 2017, respectively, of the full, optimal water supply treatment. Spinach grown under limited water supply showed significantly higher fresh biomass-based contents of polyols (e.g., inositol, glycerol), ascorbic acid, potassium, nitrogen, phosphorous, zinc and manganese, as well as total flavonoids and carotenoids. Increased dry biomass-based levels were found for total inositol, zinc and manganese, as well as decreased levels for malic acid, fumaric acid, phosphate and chloride. Furthermore, we report a high seasonal variation of several minor phytochemicals, such as single flavonoids. Spinacetin derivatives, spinatoside-glucoside as well as a rather unusual hexuronylated methylenedioxy flavonoid showed highest amounts when grown under relatively low irradiation in autumn. Levels of patuletin derivatives tended to increase under high irradiation conditions during spring. In summary, the chemical composition of spinach was shown to be highly sensitive to moderately reduced water supply and seasonal variation, but the overall nutritional quality of fresh marketable spinach was only marginally affected when considering health-related constituents such as minerals, trace elements, flavonoids and carotenoids.


2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 241
Author(s):  
P. S Prasanthi ◽  
M. Vishnuvardhana Rao ◽  
Bhaskarachary K

Green leafy vegetables (GLV) are rich sources of micronutrients, which have many health benefits and have the potential to combat the problem of malnutrition. However, domestic processing and cooking alter the nutrient contents. To study the retention of xanthophylls after processing, ten different GLV which are commonly available and regularly consumed, were analysed for total carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin and violaxanthin in both raw and cooked forms. In the unprocessed GLV, the lutein content on dry basis ranged from 341 mg/kg in Murraya koenigii to 959 mg/kg in Spinacia oleracea while zeaxanthin ranged from traces in Coriandrum sativum and Rumex acetosa to 15.45 mg/kg in Basella alba. In the case of violaxanthin, while it was not detectable in Hibiscus cannabinus, Amaranthus viridis had 794 mg/kg. The total carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin and violaxanthin in the processed GLV varied based on the variety of leafy vegetable cooked and the method of cooking. Microwave cooking followed by steaming were the most recommended method, while deep frying drastically reduced the total carotenoids and xanthophyll content followed by sautéing with oil. Overall, different methods of cooking resulted in changes in the phytochemical composition which are due to various factors such as leaf matrix, cooking method, cooking time and temperature.


2008 ◽  
Vol 100 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akira Asai ◽  
Lina Yonekura ◽  
Akihiko Nagao

Epoxyxanthophylls (epoxide-containing xanthophylls), a group of carotenoids, are ubiquitously distributed in edible plants. Among them, neoxanthin in green leafy vegetables and fucoxanthin in brown algae have been reported to exhibit an antiproliferative effect on several human cancer cells in vitro. However, there is little information about the intestinal absorption and metabolic fate of dietary epoxyxanthophylls in humans. To estimate the intestinal absorption of neoxanthin and fucoxanthin in humans, we evaluated the plasma epoxyxanthophyll concentrations before and after 1-week dietary interventions with spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and wakame (Undaria pinnatifida). The epoxyxanthophylls and their metabolites in the plasma extracts were determined by HPLC after partial purification and concentration with solid-phase extraction cartridges. Even after 1 week of spinach intake (3·0 mg neoxanthin/d), the plasma concentrations of neoxanthin and its metabolites (neochrome stereoisomers) remained very low (about 1 nmol/l), whereas those of β-carotene and lutein were markedly increased. Similarly, the plasma concentration of fucoxanthinol, a gastrointestinal metabolite of fucoxanthin, was < 1 nmol/l after 1 week of wakame intake (6·1 mg fucoxanthin/d). These results indicated that the plasma response to dietary epoxyxanthophylls was very low in humans even after 1-week intake of epoxyxanthophyll-rich diets.


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