Title : Macrominerals and microminerals content of some selected green leafy vegetables grown in Saudi Arabia
Abstract:
Objectives: To determine the macromineral and micromineral content of selected Green Leafy Vegetables (GLVs) commonly consumed in Saudi Arabia, and to contribute in developing the Saudi Food Composition Table (SFCT).
Methods: In the present study, six GLVs (parsley, coriander, arugula, lettuce, molokhia, and dill) were collected from a wholesale vegetable market in Jeddah, and underwent ICP-MS at the National Nutrition Institute in Egypt to detect their macromineral and micromineral content.
Results: The six studied GLVs samples show significant differences in the macromineral and micromineral profiles. Among macrominerals, potassium (K) content showed the widest variation, ranging from 138.1 to 534.87 mg/100 g, and magnesium (Mg) ranged from 9.44 to 48.59 mg/100 g. Parsley exhibited the highest level of both K and Mg. Calcium (Ca) content ranged from 21.96 to 226.415 mg/100 g, with molokhia showing the highest Ca content. The sodium (Na) content of the samples ranged from 9.75 to 62.93 mg/100 g. Zinc (Zn) ranged from 0.2 to 3.525 mg/100 g. Dill was found to be the richest source of both Na and Zn. Iron (Fe) concentrations ranged from 0.97 to 7.1 mg/100 g, and arugula exhibited the highest Fe content. Finally, selenium (Se) ranged from 0.16 to 0.75 μg/100 g, and lettuce showed the highest Se concentration.
Conclusion: Variation in mineral composition among Saudi GLVs highlights the need for an accurate SFCT to support to Saudi Vision 2030's objectives of achieving self-sufficiency in national nutritional data.
