Abstract
Coffee is one of the most important agricultural products in international trade. The agricultural management system may influence the chemical composition of the beans in addition to altering the bioavailability of nutrients essential for humans. Therefore, the concentrations of Cu, Fe, Zn and the proximate composition of powder and coffee infusions from beans grown under organic or conventional agricultural systems were evaluated. In addition, the effect of these products on hepatic mineral content in vivo was investigated, in healthy and induced cancer rats. Our results showed that the levels of Cu, Fe and Zn were higher in conventional coffee powder than in organic powder. However, despite these differences, the organic coffee had higher extraction yield for all infuses, and its infusion at 20% (w/v) had higher level of Zn than conventional infusion. These results were associated with the agricultural system used and the extraction process employed during the preparation of infusions. The conventional coffee provides more adsorbent compounds, decreasing the availability of this mineral in the beverage. In terms of the mineral content in vivo, the ingestion of diets prepared with infusions or coffee powder did not influence the hepatic content of Cu, Fe and Zn.
Highlights
Coffee is one of the most important agricultural products in international trade
Fertilization of the organic coffee was with castor cake, and the conventional coffee was fertilized with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (20:5:20)
The conventional coffee powder contained higher concentrations of Cu, Fe and Zn than the organic powder (Table 4). This result can be attributed to the common use of chemical fertilizers in the conventional management system, which provide higher levels of N, P, K, S, Fe, Mn, Cu, B, Cd and Zn [5] compared to the natural fertilizer used in organic management systems [2,8]
Summary
Coffee is one of the most important agricultural products in international trade. In 2009-2010, the amount of Coffea arabica exported throughout the world was approximately 62 million bags [1]. The area of production of conventionally grown coffee has increased [2], and this growth causes environmental impacts. The excessive application of chemical fertilizers and agricultural defensives (quantity and frequency), which usually exceeds the retention capacity of the soil, causes an imbalance in the ecosystem. To minimize these impacts, there is a consumption incentive for organically managed products, which have high prices compared to conventional products, despite the designation of quality and certification [3]. The International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements (IFOAM) defines organic agriculture as "all agricultural systems that promote environmental, socially and economically safe production of food and fibers"[4]. Cu, Zn and other toxic elements, such as Cd and Cr contained in some inorganic and organic fertilizers, can be increased in concentration in the soil and be taken up by the plants [5]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
