High-Resolution Continuum Source Atomic Absorption Spectrometry with Microwave-Assisted Extraction for the Determination of Metals in Vegetable Sprouts

Abstract

The goal of this study was to investigate the enrichment of garden cress (Lepidium sativum), mung beans (Vigna radiata), and soybeans (Glycine max) with minerals. Hydroponic nutrient solutions were enriched with Zn 2þ ,Cr 3þ , Ca 2þ , Mg 2þ , and Se 2þ . Morphological assessment was based on monitoring changes that occurred as a function of the concentrations of elements in the medium. The growth of the plant, as a result of a stimulating or inhibitory effect of the identity and concentration of elements on the germination process, was characterized. Microbiological contamination was identified and catabolic profiles of two bacterial strains were performed. High-resolution continuum source atomic absorption spectrometry (HR-AAS) was used to determine Zn 2þ , Cr 3þ , Ca 2þ , Mg 2þ , and Se 2þ in dried plant material after sample pretreatment using microwave-assisted extraction. The limits of detection were 0.010, 0.029, 0.013, 0.151, and 0.030 milligram per liter for Ca 2þ , Cr 3þ , Mg 2þ , Se 2þ , and Zn 2þ , respectively. Recoveries were higher than 98 percent and the relative standard deviation was less than 5 percent. The accuracy of the procedure was estimated by analyzing certified reference materials. The results showed that biofortification of garden cress by zinc holds the highest promise for the creation of designer foods. Garden cress was found to have the highest bioconcentration factor among the investigated plants; at 50 parts per million, plant growth was stimulated without contamination by microorganisms.

UV-C Seed Surface Sterilization and Fe, Zn, Mg, Cr Biofortification of Wheat Sprouts as an Effective Strategy of Bioelement Supplementation

“…UV-C sterilization had no influence on Fe and Mg concentrations in the tested sprouts. The study by Blicharska et al [ 23 ] reported that there is a slight correlation between the occurrence of microbiological contamination of sprouts and the presence of a particular type of ion in the hydroponic media or tested plant species.…”

“…Biofortification is understood as a process that increases the uptake and accumulation of mineral nutrients in agricultural products through the selection of agricultural practices, plant breeding, or/and product modification via genetic engineering [ 14 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. The results should provide health benefits as well as pose a minimal risk for consumers [ 23 ]. Through biofortification, the nutrient content increases during crop growth rather than during crop processing.…”

“…The enrichment of plant sprouts with nutrients in hydroponic media does not require any special conditions [ 23 , 35 ]. However, there are still possibilities for the introduction of new materials for vessels for hydroponic cultivation [ 36 ] or new solutions for maintaining seed microbiological quality.…”

“…However, there are still possibilities for the introduction of new materials for vessels for hydroponic cultivation [ 36 ] or new solutions for maintaining seed microbiological quality. Recently, researchers have conducted hydroponic cultivation of soybean, lettuce, garden cress, mung bean, broccoli, and onion sprouts or seedlings via biofortification [ 23 , 35 , 37 , 38 , 39 ]. These researchers noticed that enrichment with one element may affect the physiological and biochemical parameters of sprouts, including the assimilation of other micro- and macro-nutrients.…”

Vortex-assisted Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction of Pb(II) as 2-hydroxypyridine-3-carboxylic Acid Chelates From Food and Water Samples Prior to Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometric Determination

“…Atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) are the most commonly used instru-mental techniques for the determination of the trace level analysis of environmental samples (26)(27)(28)(29)(30)(31). However, a separation-preconcentration step prior to analysis is necessary due to matrix effects since the analyte levels are often lower than the detection limits of the instrument (32)(33)(34).…”