Optimization of the carrot leaf dehydration aiming at the preservation of omega-3 fatty acids

Abstract

Recebido em 30/7/08; aceito em 9/12/08; publicado na web em 30/4/09The carrot leaf dehydration conditions in air circulation oven were optimized through response surface methodology (RSM) for minimizing the degradation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, particularly alpha-linolenic (LNA, 18:3n-3). The optimized leaf drying time and temperature were 43 h and 70 °C, respectively. The fatty acids (FA) were investigated using gas chromatography equipped with a flame ionization detector and fused silica capillary column; FA were identified with standards and based on equivalent-chain-length. LNA and other FA were quantified against C 21:0 internal standard. After dehydration, the amount of LNA, quantified in mg/100 g dry matter of dehydrated carrot leaves, were 984 mg.

Chemical characterization of leaves of organically grown carrot Dacus carota L.) in various stages of development for use as food

“…After removal, the leaves were washed, dehydrated according to Almeida et al (2009), and analyzed in triplicate for moisture, ash, minerals, and total protein following the AOAC (ASSOCIATION OF ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, 1998) methods. The extraction and determination of total lipids followed the methodology of Bligh and Dyer (1959).…”

“…In addition to various nutrients, they have omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are scarce in nature (ALMEIDA et al, 2009). Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid -LNA -18:3n-3) and omega-6 (linoleic acid -AL -18:2n-6) are considered essential but cannot be synthesized by mammals, and therefore must be obtained through diet.…”

Evaluation of beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) leaves during its developmental stages: a chemical composition study

“…However, there are no studies that address the different stages of development of beetroot leaves; therefore, the goal of the present study was to investigate the proximate composition, the mineral and fatty acid contents, and the antioxidant activity of in natura and dehydrated beetroot leaves at different stages of development (60, 80, and 100 days) in order to investigate the use of their leaves as food. Today, in literature there are studies available on the reuse of cassava (Silva et al, 2012;Carvalho et al, 2002) and carrot leaves (Pereira et al, 2003;Almeida et al, 2009;Boroski et al, 2011;Leite et al, 2011), but studies on beet leaf are unprecedented.…”

Differences of fatty acid composition in Brazilian genetic and conventional soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merrill) grown in different regions

“…Soybean oil contains approximately 8% of linolenic acid, LNA (Zobiole et al, 2010), which is an unstable fatty acid that can be easily oxidized, therefore cross-breeding and genetic modification of soybeans have been developed to reduce LNA levels, although LNA (along with linoleic acid (LA)) are essential fatty acids regarding human health, and its amounts in soybean supply the daily LNA intake requirement (Lee et al, 2003). It is also important to remind that LNA is converted into other biologically relevant long chain-polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC-PUFA) by a sequential desaturation and elongation enzyme system (Almeida et al, 2009).…”