Abstract
Common liver sources in European countries include cow, chicken, duck, lamb and pig. Despite its decreasing popularity, liver is possibly one of the most nutrient-dense foods, being rich in high-quality protein and low in calories. In animals, the liver is the storage organ for folate. In this study, the effect of different cooking methods on folate vitamers content in chicken liver was investigated. Three folate derivatives, 5-CH3-H4PteGlu, H4PteGlu and 5-HCO-H4PteGlu, were identified in the analyzed samples using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The folate content in liver after sous-vide (60 °C/75 min) and steaming (100 °C/30 min) did not differ significantly (p ≤ 0.05) from raw liver folate content (781 µg/100 g). Even liver cooked in a combi oven or grilled (which resulted in significant folate losses) showed much higher folate content, 455–631 µg/100 g and 612–715 µg/100 g, respectively, than the most folate-abundant plant foods. These findings are important as they demonstrate that processed liver has the potential to improve the supply of folate and meet the recommended daily requirements, particularly when folate deficiency is common worldwide.
Highlights
B-vitamin folic acid exists naturally in foods in polyglutamyl forms, of which the most common are tetrahydrofolate, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and 5-formyltetrahydrofolate
Even liver cooked in a combi oven or grilled showed much higher folate content, 455–631 μg/100 g and 612–715 μg/100 g, respectively, than the most folate-abundant plant foods
The present study provides a better understanding of the effect of different cooking methods on folate content in animal liver, confirming the different stability levels of various folate vitamers
Summary
B-vitamin folic acid exists naturally in foods in polyglutamyl forms, of which the most common are tetrahydrofolate, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate and 5-formyltetrahydrofolate. Due to the increased recognition of the potential protective role of folate in the above-mentioned health problems, the European Food Safety Authority established a Population Reference Intake for folate at the level of. The most folate-deficient groups (pregnant women or the elderly) are advised to folic acid supplementation. Some countries, such as the US and Canada, have introduced mandatory folic acid fortification of cereal-grain products [10]. Since European countries, due to safety concerns regarding excess folic acid intake (for instance, for vitamin B12 deficiency in the elderly) [11], are reluctant to introduce obligatory folic acid fortification, alternative approaches to achieve optimal folate status need to be considered [12].
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