Vitamin B-6 Content of Spices

Abstract

The vitamin B-6 content of 42 spices was measured in duplicate using a microbiological assay. There was a wide range of values for these 42 spices (0.10–4.02 mg/100 g). Relatively high sources were the red pepper spices such as chili, cayenne, and paprika (2.45–4.02 mg/100 g), garlic (2.94 mg/100 g), and certain leaves such as basil, bay leaf, dill weed, oregano, rosemary, sage, and tarragon (1.71–2.69 mg/100 g). The seeds were relatively low sources (0.21–0.89 mg/100 g). One teaspoon (5 g) per day of some of the spices which could be considered relatively better sources of vitamin B-6, could contribute anywhere from 0.1 to 0.2 mg of vitamin B-6 (5–10% of the current RDA for vitamin B-6) to the overall daily dietary consumption of the vitamin.