Estimated daily zinc, iron, and selenium intake by consuming allium biofortified with selenium

Abstract

Alliums are nutritionally and economically important agriculture crops in many coun tries around the world. Edible parts of alliums are widely usein fresh, dried, boiled or fried forms, mostly as vegetables or as a spice in salads, dishes, dressings, etc. In addition to flavoring properties, they are known as a source ofminerals, sulphur-containing compounds and their precursors and otherbioactive compounds (phenolic acids, flavonoids, etc.). The benefitial impact of alliums on human health are well explained in the scientific literature and are attributed to the rich chemical composition of these plants.Information on the rec ommended daily intakeof this vegetable is important as nutritional parameter.In several scientific studies, recommended daily intake of garlic and onionis set on 20 and 50 g, respec tively. The aim of this study was to estimate the daily intake of zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and seleni um (Se), three important micro/trace elements,by consuming allium spicesbiofortified with selenium in different doses (0, 10, 20, 30 g per ha). Edible parts of six allium species (leaves of Allium nutans, A. odorum and A.schoenoprasum; whole plants of A. fistulosum; cloves of A.sativum var.saggitatum and A. ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum)which were produced in open field conditions, were used for this study. The determination of mineral content were performed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES). The estimate daily intake of Zn, Fe and Se was calculated on the basis of the above recommended daily consumption of alliums and was expressed as a percentage.The obtained results show that, by consumption of all tested allium species,daily intake of Se was the highest compared with recommended dietary intakes,compared to Zn and Fe. The highest daily intake of Zn (1.30 - 1.42% of RDA per 50 g), Fe (7.74 - 12.28% per 50 g) and Se (2.55 - 372. 64% per 50 g) was achieved by consuming A.schoenoprasum. The lowest daily intake of Zn (0.57 - 0.61% of RDA per 20 g), Fe (0.97 - 1.28% per 20 g)and Se (0.33 - 16. 84% per 20 g) was achieved by consuming A.ampeloprasum. In the production of functional food, biofortification can be used as an effective method for enriching agricultural crops with essential microelements.