ANALYSIS OF NUTRITIONALLY IMPORTANT ELEMENTS IN SOME VEGETABLES AND BIOLOGICAL STANDARD REFERENCE MATERIALS

Abstract

Seventeen green and leafy vegetables have been analysed for eight nutritionally important elements (Ca, Cu, Mn., Mg, Fe, Co, Zn and Cr) and three environmentally toxic heavy metal pollutants (Ni, Cd and Pb) in various vegetables vary in a wide range. Average moisture and ash contents were found to be 88.4 and 9.65 % respectively for most samples. In addition, five botanical Standard Reference Materials, Bowen's Kale, spinach (CRM-331 ), cabbage (CRM-359), citrus leaves (SRM-1572) and tomato leaves (SRM 1.572) were also analysed for quality control. Two samples of spinach and mint leaves were also analysed for 21 elements by neutron activation analysis and prompt gamma ray analysis. Room temperature Mossbauer spectrum of spinach exhibited two lines with small quadrupole splitting suggesting Fes' in high spin state. Besides, a brief account of essentiality of the elements and their importance in human diet is and a attempt has been made to estimate intake of some essential elements through daily consumption of vegetables.