TITLE:
Bioavailability of Iron and Related Components in Cooked Green Leafy Vegetables Consumed in Cameroon
AUTHORS:
Rachel Fai Nomkong, Richard Aba Ejoh, Romelle Feumba Dibanda, Medoua Nama Gabriel
KEYWORDS:
Green Leafy Vegetables, Iron Bioavailability, Cooking, Antinutrients, Vitamin C
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.10 No.9,
September
16,
2019
ABSTRACT: Green leafy
vegetables (GLVs) are a potential source of iron to combat iron deficiency in
iron deficient population. The aim of this study was to determine the
bioavailability of iron in seven species of leafy vegetables (Solanumscrabrun, Venonia amygdalina, Cucurbita maxima, Amarathus hybridus, Colococia esculenta, Solanum macrocarpon and Telfairia occidentalis) consumed in Bamenda, Cameroon. A survey was carried out in 70 households
in Bamenda, Cameroon to determine methods of preparation of these green leafy
vegetables. Iron, antinutrients and vitamin C levels
were determined using standard methods and the bioavailability of iron was
determined using an in vitro dialys ability method. The vegetables used for the study were cooked with the addition of
tomatoes, peanuts, melon seeds and soybean seeds. The loss of iron in GLVs was
as a result of dilution caused by addition of the principal ingredients. The V. amygdalina cooked with soybean contained the highest level of
iron (128.28 mg/100g). The S. scrabrum cooked with tomatoes
had the highest Total phenolic coumponds of 0.91 g/100g; the C. esculenta recorded the highest
with values ranging between 0.14 - 0.35 g/100g; the C. maxima cooked with soybean recorded the highest oxalate level (6.46 g/100g);
and the vegetables cooked with melon seeds recording the highest in
phytatelevels (70 - 1.63 g/100g). Vitamin C levels were highest in the S. macrocarpon cooked with tomatoes
(199.96 mg/100g). Iron bioavailability was highest in A. hybridus cooked with tomatoes
(28.09%). The iron bioavailability negatively correlated with phytates and positively with
vitamin C. GLV consumed in Bamenda are good sources of iron whose
bioavailability can be improved by using tomatoes in cooking.