Abstract
In this study, the levels of twelve essential metals (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Mo, Co, Cr and Ni) and two non-essential metals (Pb and Cd) were determined in the bulb and leafs of garlic (Allium sativum L.) cultivated in Ambo Woreda, Ethiopia. Wet digestion method using a mixture of 5 ml of concentrated HNO3:HClO4 (4:1 v/v) was used for digestion of the samples. The determination processes were done by flame photometer for Na and K, EDTA titration method for Ca and Mg, and ICP-OES for the rest of the metals. The results obtained revealed that the concentrations of metals in the garlic bulb samples in mg/kg dry weight were in the range of: Na (217–366.7), K (9080–12060), Ca (1018–1286), Mg (802–992.6), Fe (63.44–91.24), Zn (31.17–35.39), Mn (5.27–7.51), Cu (4.21–7.16), Mo (1.06–2.08), Co (0.61–1.49), Ni (1.45–3.78), Cr (0.47–1.31), Pb (1.07–2.51) and Cd (0.10–0.16). The concentrations of metals in the garlic leaf samples in mg/kg dry weight were in the range of: Na (463–730), K (11370–12860), Ca (1209–1302), Mg (871–994), Fe (72.3–108), Zn (49.1–71.39), Mn (26.74–72.36), Cu (5.41–8.44), Mo (1.01–2.30), Co (1.17–4.96), Ni (2.17–3.54), Cr (1.20–2.17), Pb (1.87–2.84) and Cd (0.12–0.18). In addition, the results show that the levels of elements were higher in the leaves than the bulbs. In general, the levels of metals in the analyzed garlic bulb and leaf samples were found below the FAO/WHO maximum permissible limit; hence they are safe for human consumption and can be considered as a good source of essential nutrients.
Highlights
Garlic (Allium sativum L.), the second most important Allium crop next to the onion (Allium cepa L.), is cultivated worldwide and consumed by almost every culture as a popular condiment and green vegetable [1]
The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) method obtained were low enough to detect the presence of metals of interest at trace levels in both samples
The levels of essential metals (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Mo, Co, Cr and Ni) and non-essential metals (Cd and Pb) in Allium sativum bulb and leaf samples collected from Ambo Woreda, Ethiopia were determined for Na and K using flame photometer, Ca and Mg by EDTA titration, and the rest of the metals using Inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) after wet digestion
Summary
Garlic (Allium sativum L.), the second most important Allium crop next to the onion (Allium cepa L.), is cultivated worldwide and consumed by almost every culture as a popular condiment and green vegetable [1]. Garlic has been used throughout its history for both culinary and medicinal purposes [2]. Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is the most widely used bulb vegetable next to onion in Ethiopia. Garlic (Allium sativum L.) has a long folklore history as a treatment for cold, cough, asthma and is reported to strengthen the immune system. It has many medicinal effects such as lowering of blood cholesterol level, antiplatelet aggregation, antihelmantic, anti-inflammatory activity and inhibition of cholesterol synthesis. Garlic has long been known to have antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer and antiviral properties [4, 5]
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