Leaf vegetables as source of phytochemicals

Duma, M., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava . Faculty of Food Technology. Dept. of Chemistry; Alsina, I., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava . Faculty of Agriculture. Inst. of Agrobiotechnology; Zeipina, S., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava . Faculty of Agriculture. Inst. of Agrobiotechnology;Pure Horticultural Research Centre, Pure parish, Tukuma municipality; Lepse, L., Pure Horticultural Research Centre, Pure parish, Tukuma municipality; Dubova, L., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava . Faculty of Agriculture. Inst. of Agrobiotechnology

Leaf vegetables as source of phytochemicals

2014

Duma, M., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava (Latvia). Faculty of Food Technology. Dept. of Chemistry | Alsina, I., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava (Latvia). Faculty of Agriculture. Inst. of Agrobiotechnology | Zeipina, S., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava (Latvia). Faculty of Agriculture. Inst. of Agrobiotechnology;Pure Horticultural Research Centre, Pure parish, Tukuma municipality (Latvia) | Lepse, L., Pure Horticultural Research Centre, Pure parish, Tukuma municipality (Latvia) | Dubova, L., Latvia Univ. of Agriculture, Jelgava (Latvia). Faculty of Agriculture. Inst. of Agrobiotechnology

Different vegetables are considered as sources of human health promoting components. Leaf vegetables are widely used in human diet; they are low in calories and fat, but high in dietary fibres, content of minerals, such as iron and calcium and very high in phytochemicals such as vitamin C, carotenoids, lutein and others. On the one hand phytochemicals are a plant's way of protecting itself. They help shield tender buds and sprouts from predators, the toxic elements, and pollution. On the other hand they have beneficial effect on human health. Genotype along with growing and management conditions can affect the content and the composition of phytochemicals in plants. The aim of research is to determine the content of phytochemicals (chlorophyll a and b, total carotenoids, lutein, vitamin C) in leaf vegetables. The lettuce (Lactuca sativa), spinach (Spinacia oleracea), green and violet basil (Ocinum basilicum), mustard (Brassica juncea) and common nettles young sprouts (Urtica dioica) were grown in greenhouse or in an open field. The content of plant pigments were determined spectrophotometrically, the titrimetric method was used for determination of vitamin C content.It was found out that young nettles sprouts and spinach are the good source of chlorophyll, basil (green and violet) contains more than 0.3 mg 100 gE-1 total carotenoids, but for correcting the deficiency of vitamin C it is useful to use mustard, young nettles sprouts as well as leaves of basil.

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