Study of heavy metals in some cultivated and uncultivated mushrooms of Turkish origin

Twenty-four different species of uncultivated mushrooms of Turkish origin and one cultivated mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) growing in soil composts with 16 different compositions were analysed spectrometrically for their heavy metal (Pb, Cd, Hg, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn) contents. The highest Pb levels were 2.35 mg kg⁻¹ for the species Agaricus bitorquis and 7.00 mg kg⁻¹ for the species of Hypholoma fasciculare growing in the vicinity of the road. The highest Cd level was 3.42 mg kg⁻¹ for the species of Hydnum repandum. In the wild mushrooms the highest Fe content was 93.6 mg kg⁻¹ for the species of Bovista plumbea and the highest Cu content was 51.0 mg kg⁻¹ for the species Tricholoma terreum. The highest Mn content was 35.9 mg kg⁻¹ for the species Laccaria laccata and the highest Zn content was 31.6 mg kg⁻¹ for the species of Agaricus bitorquis.     

Nicotine determination in mushrooms by LC–MS/MS with preliminary studies on the impact of drying on nicotine formation

A problem concerning significant amounts of nicotine in dried wild mushrooms (mainly Boletus edulis from China) has been reported to the European Commission. As a consequence, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) proposed temporary maximum residue levels (MRLs) of 0.036 mg kg^?1 for fresh wild mushrooms and 1.17 mg kg^?1 for dried wild mushrooms (2.3 mg kg^?1 for dried ceps only). The EFSA also highlighted the necessity for a monitoring and testing programme to be launched by food business operators at the start of the 2009 harvest season. In the present study, a quick and sensitive analytical method for routine analysis of nicotine in fresh and dried mushrooms was developed and validated by a single-laboratory procedure. The method, which employs an LC–MS/MS system and (±)-nicotine-d ₄ as internal standard, has a limit of quantification of 6 and 60 µg kg^?1 for fresh and dried product, respectively. Analyses of samples spiked with different levels of nicotine showed recoveries ranging from 107 to 122%, with relative standard deviations of 2.9–10.1% depending on the spiking level. The combined uncertainties, calculated at a low level for frozen (0.015 mg kg^?1) and a high level for the dried (2 mg kg^?1) matrix, were 13 and 10%, respectively. Application of the method to real samples of mushrooms purchased on the market or obtained from local producers showed nicotine levels ranging 0.01–0.04 and 0.1–4.5 mg kg^?1 in fresh/frozen and dried matrices, respectively. To establish reasons for the unexpectedly high levels of the nicotine in dried matrices, preliminary laboratory experiments involving drying mushrooms were performed under various conditions.     

Agaritine content of 53 Agaricus species collected from nature

Fifty-three different species of the genus Agaricus were collected in the Czech Republic during the period 1998–2001 and identified by an experienced mycologist. The samples were analysed for agaritine (N ²-(γ-L-glutamyl)-4-hydroxymethylphenylhydrazine) content, a precursor to a suspected rodent carcinogen. There was a huge variation in agaritine content between species, but less variation between samples of a species. Whereas the cultivated mushroom Agaricus bisporus commonly contain 200–500 mg agaritine kg^?1 fresh weight, no less than 24 of the 53 species contained agaritine levels above 1000 mg kg^?1 fresh weight. The highest level was found in A. elvensis containing up to 10, 000 mg kg^?1 fresh weight. Twenty species contained intermediate levels (100–1000 mg kg^?1), and nine species were below 100 mg kg^?1. Some of the species producing low levels of agaritine might be candidates for future strain development of Agaricus mushrooms for cultivation. No correlation could be observed between agaritine content and size of the mushroom, week of the year when collected, year of collection, or site of collection. Besides occurring in the genus Agaricus, some species of the genera Leucoagaricus and Macrolepiota were also shown to contain agaritine.     

Chemical composition and toxic trace element composition of some Nigerian edible wild mushrooms

Two essential amino acids (methionine and tryptophan); anti‐nutritional factors (tannin and trypsin inhibitor) and toxic elements (Pb, Cd, Ni, As, Hg and Cr) were determined spectrophotometrically from five edible wild mushrooms. The tryptophan content was between 1.00 and 1.82 g (100 g)^?1 but methionine was low at 0.26–1.38 g (100 g)^?1. Tannin content was high (30.3–40.0 mg g^?1) but trypsin inhibitor was low (22.0–39.5 TIU g^?1). Trace elements analysis reviled Pb (0.34–5.06 mg kg^?1) to be the highest of all the trace elements. Cd was (0.06–1.70 mg kg^?1), Ni (0.26–2.08 mg kg^?1), As (0.17–0.92 mg kg^?1), Hg (0.01–0.05 mg kg^?1) and Cr (0.04–0.22 mg kg^?1). These mushrooms are nutritious but must be well processed to eliminate or at least reduce the levels of tannin and Pb to improve their nutritional values.     

Trace elements in edible tissues of three shrimp species (Penaeus semisulcatus,Parapenaeus longirostris and Paleomon serratus)

Accumulation levels of trace elements in edible tissues of three shrimp species (Penaeus semisulcatus, Parapenaeus longirostris and Paleomon serratus) from the Gulf of Antalya, Turkey were investigated. Copper (Cu), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe) and manganese (Mn) concentrations were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The lowest Cu (1.33 mg kg^?1) and Cd (0.23 mg kg^?1) and highest Mn (1.52 mg kg^?1) concentrations were found in P. longirostris, the lowest Zn (6.25 mg kg^?1), Fe (1.84 mg kg^?1) and Mn (0.25 mg kg^?1) concentrations in P. serratus and the highest Cu (6.19 mg kg^?1), Cd (2.36 mg kg^?1), Zn (30.84 mg kg^?1) and Fe (33.89 mg kg^?1) concentrations in P. semisulcatus. The Cd levels detected in P. semisulcatus and P. serratus were above legislative limits. Our results show that there were significant differences in trace element concentrations among the three shrimp species. The highest levels of the five trace elements investigated, with the exception of Mn, were found in edible tissue of P. semisulcatus. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Levels of platinum group elements and rare-earth elements in wild mushroom species growing in Poland

Due to limited data-describing abilities of mushrooms to accumulate platinum group elements (PGEs) and rare-earth elements (REEs), the aim of this study was to determine, by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry followed by microwave-assisted sample digestion by nitric acid, the content of these elements in 20 mushroom species (10 above ground and 10 growing on wood), mostly edible, collected near a busy trunk road. The highest content of PGEs in above-ground mushroom species was observed in Lepista gilva and Suillus bovinus fruit bodies (0.38 ± 0.05 and 0.37 ± 0.03 mg kg^?1 DW, respectively), while in mushrooms growing on wood, the highest content was observed in Pleurotus ostreatus (0.35 ± 0.04 mg kg^?1 DW). The mean content of PGEs for both these groups was 0.23 ± 0.08 and 0.26 ± 0.07 mg kg^?1 DW, respectively. The highest content of REEs in Suillus luteus and Tricholoma equestra was 5.03 ± 0.50 and 2.18 ± 0.56 mg kg^?1 DW, respectively, but within mushrooms growing on wood in Ganoderma applanatum fruiting bodies it was 4.19 ± 0.78 mg kg^?1 DW. Mean contents of REEs were 1.39 ± 1.21 and 1.61 ± 0.97 mg kg^?1 DW in above-ground species and species growing on wood, respectively. Generally, the group of mushroom species growing on wood was capable of slightly higher accumulation of both REEs and PGEs. No limits have been established for both the groups until now.     

Toxic (Pb,Cd, Hg) and essential (Fe,Cu, Zn,Mn) metal content of liver tissue of some domestic and bush animals in Ghana

Accumulation of toxic metals in liver, a rich natural source of essential elements, can present health risks to regular consumers of liver. A total of 35 fresh liver samples of cow, sheep, goat, pig, grass-cutter (Thryonomys swinderianus), gaint rat (Cricetomys gambianus), red deer (Cervus elaphus), chicken and antelope (Antilocapra americana) were obtained from three different markets in Accra and Kumasi, Ghana. Samples were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrometry and an automatic mercury analyzer. Levels of iron in the grass-cutter and pig of 500.5–645.4 mg kg^?1 were the highest in the animal livers examined. Mn concentrations were highest in grass-cutter and rat liver, ranging 16.5–30.2 mg kg^?1. The safe Cu and Zn permissible limits of 20 and 50 mg kg^?1 were exceeded in 70 and 75% of the liver samples, respectively. Generally, for each animal group studied, at least 50% of the sample livers exceeded the Cd permissible limit of 0.5 mg kg^?1. The levels of Pb, which ranged 1.3–13.8 mg kg^?1, exceeded the proposed European Commission (EC) limit of 0.5 mg kg^?1. Care must be taken by regular consumers of the iron-rich animal livers of grass-cutter, pig and rat because they also had the highest levels of Pb (in grass-cutter and pig) and Cd (in grass-cutter, rat and pig). The liver samples analyzed for Hg had values far below the permissible limit of 0.5 mg kg^?1.     

Bioactivities of essential oil and extract of Thymus argaeus,Turkish endemic wild thyme

BACKGROUND: Thymus argaeus Boiss. & Bal. (Lamiaceae), an endemic plant species of Turkey known as wild thyme, is traditionally used as a spice and a wild tea in the Inner Anatolia region of Turkey. In this study the composition of the essential oil and the antimicrobial and antioxidant effects of the methanolic extract and essential oil of T. argaeus were determined. RESULTS: The main components of the essential oil were linalool (499 g kg^?1), α‐terpineol (150 g kg^?1), linalyl acetate (97 g kg^?1) and thymol (94 g kg^?1). The total phenolic, flavanol and flavonol contents of the extract were 83.31 ± 0.59 mg gallic acid equivalent g^?1, 6.26 ± 0.00 mg catechin equivalent g^?1 and 28.81 ± 0.21 mg rutin equivalent g^?1 respectively. The antioxidant activities of the extract and essential oil determined by the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl radical‐scavenging method were 830.18 ± 0.42 and 20.47 ± 2.3 mg g^?1 respectively. The antimicrobial activities of the extract and essential oil against 13 bacteria and two yeasts were studied by the agar diffusion method. The micro‐organisms most sensitive to the essential oil were Aeromonas hydrophila and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, while the micro‐organism most sensitive to the extract was P. aeruginosa. CONCLUSION: Only the extract of T. argaeus could be used as a natural antioxidant, while both the extract and the essential oil could be useful as natural antimicrobial agents in food preservation. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Nutritional contents of three edible oyster mushrooms grown on two substrates at Haramaya,Ethiopia, and sensory properties of boiled mushroom and mushroom sauce

The effects of wheat and bean straw growing substrates on nutrient contents of three edible oyster mushrooms and sensory properties of two mushroom foods were investigated. Moisture (fresh weight basis), crude protein, fat, fibre, ash, total carbohydrate, Fe, P and Zn (db) were ranged: 85.18–88.86%, 30.04–37.63%, 1.61–2.55%, 9.33–13.29%, 6.83–9.38%, 29.68–32.53%, 4.86–5.66 mg per 100 g, 12.39–15.36 g kg^?1 and 54.61–65.98 mg kg^?1, respectively. Moisture, fat and fibre were significantly (P < 0.01) affected by substrates, species and their interactions. Substrates showed no differences on ash, Fe and P (P > 0.05). Protein content was high for mushrooms grown on bean straw. Pleurotus sajor‐caju grown on bean straw had high protein, ash, Fe and P contents. No significant (P > 0.05) sensory acceptability differences were observed for boiled mushroom and mushroom sauce except colour of boiled mushrooms. In Ethiopia, if mushroom consumption is popularised, the support for food nutrition security is substantial.     

Evaluation of bioactive compounds content and antioxidant properties of soil‐growing and wood‐growing edible mushrooms

The aim of the study was to estimate the content of the macroelements (Ca, K, Mg, Na), ergosterol, ascorbic acid, and the profile of phenolic compounds in seventeen wild growing edible mushrooms from Poland. Mean content of Ca, K, Mg, Na in wood‐growing mushrooms was 315, 12,402, 597, and 130 mg/kg DM. Soil‐growing species contained 246, 15,586, 531, and 114 mg/kg DM, respectively. The highest total phenolic and flavonoid contents were confirmed for Leccinum scabrum (9.24 and 0.77 mg/g DM). The highest content of ascorbic acid was indicated in Calvatia gigantea (108.11 mg/kg DM). The richest in phenolic compounds were Lepista gilva and L. scabrum. The soil‐growing mushrooms possessed a better scavenging activity in comparison to wood‐growing varieties, with L. scabrum as the species with the greatest antioxidant properties. EC₅₀ value was correlated with total phenolic and flavonoid contents. The content of ergosterol reached 0.540 mg/g DM for Laetiporus sulphureus.

Practical applications

Consumers appreciate wild edible mushrooms mainly because of the taste and aroma. This research on both popular and rare edible wild growing mushrooms shows that they are a good source of bioactive compounds including macroelements, phenolics, and ergosterol. This knowledge influences consumers' awareness by enabling them to better match the products of the daily diet, which in consequence can improve well‐being and health quality. The results are also valuable for other applications of mushrooms, for example, as extracts or other forms of supplements.     

Biochemical composition of two red seaweed species grown on the Brazilian coast

BACKGROUND: Algae species have been used as an important source of food because they are highly nutritive considering their vitamin, protein, mineral, fiber, essential fatty acid and carbohydrate contents. However, a large number of seaweeds have been poorly studied, especially Brazilian species. Two red macroalgae species from the Brazilian coast (Plocamium brasiliense and Ochtodes secundiramea) were assessed with respect to their total lipid, fatty acid, total nitrogen, protein, amino acid and total carbohydrate contents. RESULTS: The total lipid contents (dry weight) were 36.3 and 35.4 g kg^?1; fatty acid contents were 9.3 and 12.1 g kg^?1; total nitrogen contents were 37.4 and 24.9 g kg^?1; protein contents were 157.2 and 101.0 g kg^?1; amino acid contents were 127.5 and 91.4 g kg^?1; and total carbohydrate contents were 520.3 and 450.7 g kg^?1 for P. brasiliense and O. secundiramea, respectively. CONCLUSION: Considering these compositions, both algae species were determined to have sources of protein, essential amino acids and carbohydrates similar to the edible seaweeds Laminaria japonica and Palmaria palmata. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Potential of aflatoxin B1 production by Aspergillus flavus strains on commercially important food grains

In this study, we investigated the potential of aflatoxin B₁ (AFB1) production by five Aspergillus flavus strains previously isolated from sorghum grains on cereals (barley, maize, rice, wheat and sorghum), oilseeds (peanuts and sesame) and pulses (greengram and horsegram). Five strains of A. flavus were inoculated on all food grains and incubated at 25 °C for 7 days; AFB1 was extracted and estimated by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. All A. flavus strains produced AFB1 on all food grains ranging from 245.4 to 15 645.2 μg kg^?1. Of the five strains tested, strain Af 003 produced the highest amount of AFB1 on all commodities ranging from 2245.2 to 15 645.2 μg kg^?1. Comparatively, the AFB1 accumulation was high on rice grains ranging from 3125.2 to 15 645.2 μg kg^?1, followed by peanuts ranging from 2206.2 to 12 466.5 μg kg^?1. Less AFB1 accumulation was observed in greengram and sesame seeds ranging from 645.8 to 2245.2 and 245.4 to 2890.6 μg kg^?1, respectively. Our results showed that all food grains tested are susceptible to A. flavus growth and subsequent AFB1 production.     

Fatty acids and bioactive compounds of the pulps and kernels of Brazilian palm species,guariroba (Syagrus oleraces), jerivá (Syagrus romanzoffiana) and macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata)

BACKGROUND: Bioactive compounds are capable of providing health benefits, reducing disease incidence or favoring body functioning. There is a growing search for vegetable oils containing such compounds. This study aimed to characterize the pulp and kernel oils of the Brazilian palm species guariroba (Syagrus oleracea), jerivá (Syagrus romanzoffiana) and macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata), aiming at possible uses in several industries. RESULTS: Fatty acid composition, phenolic and carotenoid contents, tocopherol composition were evaluated. The majority of the fatty acids in pulps were oleic and linoleic; macaúba pulp contained 526 g kg^?1 of oleic acid. Lauric acid was detected in the kernels of all three species as the major saturated fatty acid, in amounts ranging from 325.8 to 424.3 g kg^?1. The jerivá pulp contained carotenoids and tocopherols on average of 1219 µg g^?1 and 323.50 mg kg^?1, respectively. CONCLUSION: The pulps contained more unsaturated fatty acids than the kernels, mainly oleic and linoleic. Moreover, the pulps showed higher carotenoid and tocopherol contents. The kernels showed a predominance of saturated fatty acids, especially lauric acid. The fatty acid profiles of the kernels suggest that these oils may be better suited for the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries than for use in foods. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Phenolic compounds,lycopene and antioxidant activity in commercial varieties of tomato (Lycopersicum esculentum)

Nine commercial varieties of tomato (Rambo, Senior, Ramillete, Liso, Pera, Canario, Durina, Daniella and Remate) produced in Spain were analysed for their lycopene content, content of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity. The phenolic compounds were characterised as flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol and naringenin) and hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic, chlorogenic, ferulic and p‐coumaric acids). Antioxidant activity was measured using the DPPH and ABTS assays. The concentrations of lycopene and the various phenolic compounds as well as the antioxidant activity were significantly influenced by the tomato variety. Quercetin, the most abundant flavonoid, was found in concentrations ranging between 7.19 and 43.59 mg kg^?1 fresh weight, while naringenin levels were lower than 12.55 mg kg^?1. The most abundant hydroxycinnamic acid was chlorogenic acid, with values ranging from 14 to 32 mg kg^?1 fresh weight, followed by caffeic acid, while p‐coumaric and ferulic acids showed similar concentrations lower than 5 mg kg^?1. The highest content of lycopene was found in Ramillete, Pera and Durina (>50 mg kg^?1 fresh weight), while the concentration in the other varieties was between 50 and 30 mg kg^?1, with the exception of Liso (less than 20 mg kg^?1). The antioxidant activity of tomato extracts varied with the tomato variety and the assay method used. Individual compounds found to be significantly related to antioxidant capacity were lycopene and ferulic and caffeic acids, but not quercetin and chlorogenic acid. © 2002 Society of Chemical Industry     

Composition,variation of nutritional contents in leaves,seed protein,fat and fatty acid profile ofchenopodium species

The foliage of Chenopodium belonging to 10 species were analysed for selected nutritional and antinutritional components. The overall range of moisture was 757-910 g kg^?1, carotenoid 78-190 mg kg^?1, vitamin C 0.5-2.4 g kg^?1, protein 26-64 g kg^?1, nitrate 2.6-5.0 g kg^?1 and oxalate 9-39 g kg^?1 (fresh wt). Variation of all the six parameters with respect to leaf position from the apex showed the highest amount of carotenoid at 7-8, vitamin C at 9-10, protein at 5-6 and nitrate in the youngest leaves, followed by a continuous decrease with age (increasing position). However, oxalate contents always tended to increase with leaf position (age). The protein, fat and fatty acid composition in seeds of eight species were also analysed. Protein varied from 106 to 142 g kg^?1 and fat from 30 to 62 g kg^?1; palmitic, oleic and linoleic were the major fatty acids in the oils.     

Content of biogenic amines and polyamines in some species of European wild-growing edible mushrooms

The content of eight biologically active biogenic amines and polyamines were determined in fruiting bodies of 17 species of wild-growing edible mushrooms picked during 3 consecutive years. An analytical procedure, using freeze-dried samples, derivatisation with dansyl chloride and HPLC quantification had to be adapted in its extraction step due to the slimy character of the analysed mushrooms. No histamine and cadaverine were determined. Tyramine and tryptamine occurred at very low levels, usually up to 5 mg kg⁻¹ fresh matter, whilst phenylethylamine contents varied widely from an undetectable level to 38 mg kg⁻¹. Putrescine was the amine of the highest content, sometimes exceeding 150 mg kg⁻¹ fresh matter, mainly in species of the family Boletaceae. The contents of spermidine were considerably higher than those of spermine, usually at levels of tens mg kg⁻¹ fresh matter and sporadically above 100 mg kg⁻¹. Thus, mushrooms are raw food materials with very high spermidine content. The highest spermidine levels occurred in spore-forming parts of fruiting bodies. In Xerocomus badius, statistically significant effects of the year of harvest, age and parts of the fruiting body and of their interactions on the contents of phenylethylamine, putrescine and spermidine were found.     

Potential nutritive value and tannin bioassay of selected Acacia species from Kenya

Six Acacia forage species–A. brevispica, A. elatior, A. mellifera, A. nilotica, A. senegal and A. seyal—were analysed for their chemical composition, including phenolics and rumen fermentation characteristics. In vitro gas production technique was used to study the rumen fermentation characteristics and the effect of tannins present in the browse forages on in vitro fermentation by including polyethylene glycol (PEG‐6000) in the incubation. The forages had high crude protein content (145.7–270.1 g kg^?1 DM) and low to moderate content of neutral detergent fibre (220.2–442.8 g kg^?1 DM). The forages had variable content of total extractable phenolics ranging from 18.4 to 384.2 g kg^?1 DM and total extractable tannins ranging from 7.1 to 364.8 g kg^?1 DM (tannic acid equivalent). Fractionation of the condensed tannin flavonoids showed that the delphinidin/cyanidin ratio ranged from not detected:100 to 71:29. The gas production potential ranged from 28.4 to 40.8 mL gas 0.2 g^?1 DM. The rate of gas production was highest in A. elatior and lowest in A. nilotica. Addition of PEG‐6000 increased gas production significantly (P < 0.05) in all species except A. mellifera. PEG‐6000 addition did not have any significant effect on in vitro true dry matter and organic matter degradability but decreased the partitioning factor in all the species. Gas production and degradability parameters correlated positively with the CP content and negatively with the fibre and phenolics contents. Based on chemical composition, gas production and degradability, the forages have high potential nutritive value, especially as supplements to low‐quality feeds in the tropics and particularly during the dry season. However, the presence of tannins in terms of high levels and biological antinutritive activity may limit the nutritive potential of some of the forages, such as A. seyal and A. nilotica. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Endotoxin and biogenic amine levels in Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus), sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and Mediterranean hake (Merluccius merluccius) stored at 22 °C

Whole Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus), sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and Mediterranean hake (Merluccius merluccius) from the Croatian Adriatic were stored at 22 °C and changes in histamine, putrescine, tyramine and cadaverine levels were monitored in relation to bacterial endotoxin. After 12 h, histamine levels in sardine were above the legal limit of 50 mg kg^?1, set by the US Food and Drug Administration, and an increase in putrescine content preceded the increase in histamine. After 24 h, histamine contents in mackerel and sardine reached 1090 ± 101 and 577 ± 275 mg kg^?1, respectively, which exceeded the toxic threshold of 500 mg kg^?1. At the same time, the putrescine content was also high in both fish (353–420 mg kg^?1). The time-course of endotoxin production was similar in all fish species stored at 22 °C. A high correlation was found between endotoxin and histamine, and between endotoxin and putrescine in mackerel and sardine. On the other hand, high endotoxin levels in hake, after 24 h, were associated with the low histamine and putrescine content (40–60 mg kg^?1).     

Plant sterols in vegetables,fruits and berries

The plant sterol contents of the most important vegetables, fruits and berries available in Finland were determined by capillary gas chromatography. The sample preparation procedure included both acid and alkaline hydrolysis to liberate sterols from their conjugates. The plant sterol contents of fresh vegetables ranged from 51 to 370 mg kg^?1 fresh weight (fw) in samples obtained from retail sale. The highest contents (>300 mg kg^?1) were measured in broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and dill and the lowest (51 mg kg^?1) in potato. The range of sterol contents on a dry weight (dw) basis was high, 246–4100 mg kg^?1 dw. Considerable variation was also observed when individual samples of some vegetables were compared. Sitosterol was the main sterol (proportion 43–86%) in all vegetables except cucumber and spinach, in which Δ⁷‐sterols dominated. The total sterol contents were in the range 116–228 mg kg^?1 fw in all fresh fruits except avocado, which contained more sterols, 752 mg kg^?1 fw. In fresh berries the corresponding range was 60–279 m kg^?1 fw. The wild berries lingonberry and blueberry were better plant sterol sources than the cultivated berries blackcurrant, redcurrant and strawberry. In fruits and berries the proportion of sitosterol ranged from 61–93% total sterols. On the basis of the results, the contribution of vegetables, fruits and berries to the total average daily plant sterol intake was estimated to be ca 60 mg. © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry     

Growth, yield and seed composition of native Australian legumes with potential as grain crops

BACKGROUND: Many Australian native legumes grow in arid and nutrient‐poor environments. Yet few Australian herbaceous legumes have been investigated for domestication potential. This study compared growth and reproductive traits, grain yield and seed composition of 17 native Australian legumes with three commercial grain legumes. RESULTS: Seed yields of seven native legumes were > 40% of Cicer arietnum, with highest seed yields and harvest indices in Glycine sp. (14.4 g per plant, 0.54 g g^?1) and Lotus cruentus (10.2 g per plant, 0.65 g g^?1). Five native species flowered earlier than field pea (Pisum sativa) (109 days), though many were slower to flower and set seed. Largest seeds were found in Glycine canescens (17 mg), with seed of other native species 14 times smaller than commercial cultivars. Seed composition of many native legumes was similar to commercial cultivars (200–330 g protein kg^?1 dry weight (DW), 130–430 g dietary fibre kg^?1 DW). Two Cullen species had high fat content (>110 g kg^?1 DW) and Trigonella sauvissima had the highest crude protein content (370 g kg^?1 DW). CONCLUSION: The seed composition and reproductive traits of some wild native Australian legumes suggest they could offer potential as grain crops for soils and environments where the current grain legumes are uneconomic. Further evaluation of genetic diversity, especially for seed size, overall productivity, and reproductive development is needed. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry