Abstract
Vitamin D has previously been quantified in some plants and algae, particularly in leaves of the Solanaceae family. We measured the vitamin D content of Australian native food plants and Australian-grown edible seaweed. Using liquid chromatography with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry, 13 samples (including leaf, fruit, and seed) were analyzed in duplicate for vitamin D2, vitamin D3, 25-hydroxyvitamin D2, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3. Five samples contained vitamin D2: raw wattleseed (Acacia victoriae) (0.03 µg/100 g dry weight (DW)); fresh and dried lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) leaves (0.03 and 0.24 µg/100 g DW, respectively); and dried leaves and berries of Tasmanian mountain pepper (Tasmannia lanceolata) (0.67 and 0.05 µg/100 g DW, respectively). Fresh kombu (Lessonia corrugata) contained vitamin D3 (0.01 µg/100 g DW). Detected amounts were low; however, it is possible that exposure to ultraviolet radiation may increase the vitamin D content of plants and algae if vitamin D precursors are present.
Highlights
A quarter of Australian adults are deficient in vitamin D (serum 25-hydroxyvitaminD (25(OH)D) < 50 nmol/L) [1]
Vitamin D2 was found in dried lemon myrtle leaves (0.24 μg/100 g) and the dried leaves and berries of Tasmanian mountain pepper (0.67 and 0.05 μg/100 g, respectively)
Fungal infection was not tested for in our study, the vitamin D2 content found in the plants may have been due to fungal contamination [42]
Summary
A quarter of Australian adults are deficient in vitamin D (serum 25-hydroxyvitaminD (25(OH)D) < 50 nmol/L) [1]. There is seasonal variation in the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, with 14% of the adult population deficient in summer and 36% in winter [1]. Certain population groups, such as people with dark skin, those wearing covering for religious or cultural reasons, and people living largely indoors, are at greater risk of deficiency due to inadequate sun exposure, in winter months [2]. In the Australian food supply, fish, meat, eggs, dairy, and fortified margarine are known sources of vitamin D3 , while mushrooms are mainly a source of vitamin D2 and small amounts of vitamins D3 and D4 [5,6]. Vitamin D3 has been found in shiitake mushrooms, a few algae, and several species of Angiosperms (flowering plants) [7] belonging to the plant families of Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, Poaceae, Nutrients 2018, 10, 876; doi:10.3390/nu10070876 www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients
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