Determination of Potassium in Foodstuffs Consumed in Mamuju Indonesia by Neutron Activation Analysis

Abstract

Potassium (K) is an essential nutrient and one of the main minerals in the blood as a counterweight to electrolyte and blood pressure. Decreasing K intake can be one of the causes of increased blood pressure. Mamuju is one area with high hypertension cases. Potassium is widely obtained from foodstuffs. In this study, food was collected from the markets in Mamuju Indonesia and analyzed using neutron activation analysis to determine K concentration. The results for the meat and egg category show that beef has a higher potassium concentration than chicken meat, and Negeri chicken eggs are higher than Kampung chicken eggs. For the vegetable category, six samples have very high concentrations of potassium, namely caisim, kemangi, fern leaves, chinese cabbage, spinach, and beans; and the spices namely turmeric and kencur have high concentrations of potassium. For the fish and seafood category, tilapia has the highest potassium concentration and the lowest shrimp. For staples, the highest concentration of potassium is found in potatoes, the lowest in sticky rice; and the processed soybeans, tempeh has a higher potassium concentration than tofu. Therefore, it is important to pay attention to daily potassium intake by looking at the combination of food and potassium concentration in it, such as by increasing consumption of vegetable foods. On the other hand, high potassium intake needs to be followed by a reduction in sodium and salt intake in food.