Types Of Leafy Vegetables Research Articles

Health risk assessment associated with consumption of heavy metal-contaminated vegetables: A case study in the southern area of Northeast Thailand

This study aims to determine the amount of lead exposure and investigate the health hazards linked to the consumption of leafy vegetables contaminated with lead and cadmium. It focuses on a specific case study conducted in the southern region of Northeast Thailand. Five types of leafy vegetables, including Chinese kale, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, lettuce, and parsley, were collected from the Southern Northeast region of Thailand. The vegetable consumption of 3,831 individuals was calculated. The results showed that Chinese kale had the highest average lead contamination (0.009±0.015 mg/kg DW), followed by Chinese cabbage (0.005±0.01 mg/kg DW), cabbage (0.004±0.003 mg/kg DW), lettuce (0.003±0.003 mg/kg DW), and parsley (0.001±0.01 mg/kg DW), respectively. The evaluation results indicated that the margin of safety values for leafy vegetable consumption ranged between 4.49731E-05 and 0.04550, suggesting no major health risks. Based on geographical information, the lowest altitude was 95 m in the Warin Chamrap District of Ubon Ratchathani Province, while the highest was 450 m in the Pak Chong District of Chum Klat, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. Therefore, people in the Southern Northeast region of Thailand should be encouraged to cultivate vegetables for their own consumption based on the season, and hydroponic systems should be utilized. It is important to assess and monitor the levels of heavy metals in the vegetables intended for consumptions and potential adverse effects on the environment and, consequently, human health. When choosing vegetables, it is advisable for consumers to exercise prudence and choose produce sourced from reputable cultivation facilities. Additionally, to prevent the accumulation of pollutants that could result in long-term health effects, it is prudent to vary their vegetable intake. The data obtained can be used in remediation techniques and to implement control measures for heavy metal contamination in vegetables.

Empowering People With Disabilities: Designing An Innovative And Sustainable Hydroponics System

Science has rendered its blessings to human kind in numerous ways. The sector of agriculture demands workers with great physical strength, rendering it difficult for the disabled to contribute productively. The solution lies in a hydroponic garden. A large variety of plants, such as tomatoes, lady’s finger, brinjal, chillies, several types of leafy vegetables, pineapples, etc. can be grown hydroponically. Combining sustainable technology and modern farming techniques opens up new big business opportunities. All it requires is a small piece of land and a few sensors to control and monitor the growth of plants, which could be done with very little physical effort. This will generate a supportive environment for PwDs, creating employment opportunities and enabling them to participate in mainstream economy of their nation. Smart farming, hydroponic gardening, with no soil and a controlled environment is rapidly becoming a favourite and has a promising market. The Indian hydroponic market is expected to grow at a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 13.53 per cent between 2020-2027, with the corresponding growth in the global market estimated at just half at ~6.8 percent. In addition, lab tests have shown that hydroponic produce is nutritionally either as good or even better than organic in many cases. The methodology involves using a microcontroller namely Arduino and simulating circuits using online software called Tinkercad. Arduino helps to keep track of physical parameters like temperature, electrical conductivity of water and distance of water surface from a reference point for a hydroponics system. All the physical parameters can be reflected on a computer screen and easily controlled and handled, even by people with disabilities. Use of technology in this manner can be applied for empowering workers with disabilities in field of agriculture.

Poređenje parametara kvaliteta nepiliranog i novostvorenog piliranog semena zelene salate

Lettuce is one of the most common types of leafy vegetables in human diet that is grown worldwide. Narrow and very small seeds make its sowing very difficult, requiring a lot of time and labour. Also, plants produced by manual sowing are often characterized by uneven germination. Those problems could be prevented by sowing pelleted seeds which require the development of adequate pelleting technology. Absence of quality lettuce seeds in the Serbian market results in large amounts of imported pelleted seeds every year. The aim of this study was to develop a domestic pelleting procedure and examine its effects on seeds quality parameters, in order to provide seeds to local farmers at a more affordable price compared to imported commercial pelleted seeds. Pelleted and non-pelleted seeds of the Panukia F1 hybrid were compared in several quality characteristics (1000 seed weight, germination energy, germination percentage, seedling length) in laboratory and greenhouse conditions. There was no loss in seed quality with the pelleting process, although the seed weight increased 12-19 times. Pelleted lettuce seeds had very high germination energy and seed germination (97-98%). In greenhouse conditions, non-pelleted seeds sprouted unevenly in relation to pelleted seeds. These results confirm the advantages of sowing pelleted seeds in terms of uniform germination and development of lettuce plants, primarily due to the precision of mechanical sowing. By offering domestic pelleting lettuce seeds to the growers, the production process would be significantly improved and accelerated with the reduction of manual labour, and therefore the overall production cost.

PEMODELAN SISTEM HIDROPONIK APUNG, SEBAGAI UPAYA BUDIDAYA TANAMAN SAYURAN DAUN, DI WILAYAH PESISIR TERDAMPAK ROB DAN SALIN

Vegetable plants are plants that are popular with people, apart from tasting good when cooked, they can also be used as fresh vegetables, containing nutritional values, such as vitamins and minerals. This study aims to obtain a modeling system for leaf vegetable cultivation in coastal areas inundated by rob and saline and a formula to suppress extreme climatic conditions. The research method is a qualitative descriptive method, based on data from several research results. From several previous research results, it shows that the cultivation of leaf vegetables in coastal areas inundated by rob and saline can be overcome by modeling a floating hydroponic system, a formula for suppressing extreme climates using a nutrient concentration of 2000 ppm, media of husk or rockwall charcoal, wicks with cloth. flannel, the type of nutrition using AB mix Goodplant and the number of seeds of one seed per hole. Types of leafy vegetables that are suitable are kale and pakcoy. The variables observed included the growth components of leaf vegetable plants which showed very significant differences in the treatment given.

KAJIAN SISTEM AGRIBISNIS PAKCOY ORGANIK: KASUS PADA POKTAN SAUNG ORGANIK

The Saung Organic farmer group is a producer of organic vegetable products that has received an Organic Food Certificate from the Indonesian Organic Farming (Inofice) Certification in 2013 for the types of leafy vegetables including pakcoy. This study aims to examine the agribusiness system in organic pakcoy farming carried out by the Organic Saung Farmer Group. This study used a qualitative design with a case study method approach. The data analysis design used descriptive analysis. The results illustrate that in the upstream organic pakcoy subsystem, the procurement of production facilities includes pick-ups car, hoes, cored, sprayers, manure, organic liquid fertilizer, pakcoy gardena seeds, drilling wells to meet water availability, tricoderma, and packaging as well as tie rope. The production factor for organic pakcoy farming includes the area of land ownership in the group which is 0.5 hectares, does not use labor outside the farmer group members, and the amount of capital owned is Rp. 3,690,744. In the production subsystem, the organic pakcoy cultivation process is carried out with a cropping system system once every 15 days and planted in monoculture. Meanwhile, in the harvest and post-harvest subsystems, the harvest age for organic pakcoy plants is 30-33 days. In 1 year there are 12 planting and harvesting seasons. Organic pakcoy production reaches 1,434 kg / planting season. The post-harvest process includes washing, sorting, weighing and packaging. In marketing, consumers come directly to farmer groups to take orders.

Simultaneous Quantitative Detection of Thirteen Common Antibiotics in Leafy Vegetables by Ultra-High Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

An analytical approach was developed to simultaneously determine 13 antibiotics in sulfonamides, quinolones, and macrolides in leafy vegetables by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). After optimizing extracted solutions, purification methods, and eluents of antibiotics in vegetable substrates, and taking into account the influence of environmental changes and experimental conditions on the results, the optimal experimental scheme was determined. This involved ①weighing 500 mg of vegetable samples and adding 20 mL of methanol-Mcllvaine-Na2 EDTA solution; ② conducting ultrasonic and centrifugal extraction three times; ③ Allowing rotary evaporation to 20 mL to pass a HLB solid phase extraction column; ④ Eluting the extraction column using 6 mL of methanol, upon which the eluent was dried almost completely; ⑤ Re-dissolving the eluent with a mixed solution of acetonitrile:water (volume ratio of 2:8); ⑥ Detecting by UPLC-MS/MS after centrifugation and filtering. Phase A and B of UPLC-MS/MS used an aqueous solution of 1‰ formic acid and acetonitrile, respectively to conduct gradient elution. Results showed that when the pakchoi spiked at 300 ng·g-1, the spiked recoveries of 13 antibiotics were 38.05%-96.97%. At 150 ng·g-1, the spiked recoveries were 34.52%-111.10%. At 50 ng·g-1, the recoveries of standard addition were 41.75%-107.13%, and the relative deviation (RSD) values were all below 8.68%. The detection limit was 0.4-1 ng·g-1, and the limit of quantification was 1.5-3 ng·g-1. This demonstrated good extraction and recovery efficiency on different types of leafy vegetables, and presented a good analytical application effect. The antibiotic residues were detected in four kinds of leafy vegetables in found in markets. The total content ranged from 1.59 ng·g-1 to 32.01 ng·g-1, and the antibiotic content in samples was calculated by dry weight. The content of antibiotics in pakchoi was the highest, followed by Chinese cabbage, lettuce, and coriander. Among the antibiotics detected, sulfadimidine was the most abundant from the selected leafy vegetables. The content of antibiotics was very low, however the potential health risks caused by long-term consumption could not be ignored.

Proper Plant Density for Mechanical Transplanting of Several Leafy Vegetables Under Korean Agricultural Condition

This study surveyed the information for development of mechanical transplanting of leafy vegetables. The priority production area of each crop, cultivation season, primary cultivar, transplanting method, and cultivation practice, in terms of furrow, ridge, and planting distance, were determined. The cultivation region, cultivation period, seedling, transplanting method, and size of furrow and ridge for cultivation of kimchi cabbage, cabbage, broccoli, and head lettuce were determined. These activities were carried out on commercial farms in the main producing region of leafy vegetables. Regarding kimchi cabbage, the standard sizes of furrow and ridge were 63 and 13 cm, respectively. The suitable wheel distance of the transplanting machine was 112–136 cm and the planting distance of kimchi cabbage was 65 × 45 cm. For cabbage transplanted in a single row, the furrow and ridge sizes were 76–90 and 13–15 cm, and the wheel distance and planting distance ranged from 152–180 and 76–90 × 45 cm, respectively. For broccoli and head lettuce, respectively, the furrow size range indicated 50–78 and 63–69 cm, with corresponding ridges of 10–20 and 12–13 cm, and the suggested wheel distances were 100–156 and 126–138 cm. In addition, the planting distance of broccoli and head lettuce represented 76–90 × 45 cm and 63–69 × 30 cm, respectively. Results indicated the optimal density for mechanized transplanting of various types of leafy vegetables and the information provided could be applied to develop the specification of the machine’s end effects.

A Study of 226Ra Concentration Ratios for Leafy Vegetables

The aim of this work was to study the factors that influence the 226Ra uptake by two types of leafy vegetables collected from different farms in Al Sharqiya region in Saudi Arabia with their corresponding soils and irrigation waters. Quality assurance and validation of the radioanalyses for the different samples matrices were carried out. It was a reasonable approach to determine the 226Ra concentration ratios on the basis of both the exchangeable and total 226Ra content in the soils. It was found that the activity concentration of 226Ra in soils is independent on its corresponding activities in irrigation water but correlates well with the soil content of clay and silt. No significant dependency of the 226Ra concentration ratios for the studied vegetables on the radium total activities in soils. Good negative correlations were found between the organic matter content of soils and the concentration ratios of 226Ra in cabbage and lettuce. Some variations of the 226Ra uptake were found through the two leafy vegetables which may be explained by other factors related to the metabolic characteristics of the plant species. The 226Ra concentration ratios based on the exchangeable radium leached from soil for cabbage and lettuce were found to be higher than those determined on the basis of its total activity in soil. The exchangeable 226Ra may contribute for a better understanding of its uptake by leafy vegetables in these farms.

Frequency of Enteroparasites and Bacteria in the Leafy Vegetables Sold in Brazilian Public Wholesale Markets

The consumption of raw vegetables is related to health benefits. However, these foods might be source of foodborne diseases. The objective of the present study was to perform a microbiological and parasitological evaluation of the leafy vegetables commercially sold in five regions of Brazil at public wholesale markets. The 12 types of leafy vegetables (144 samples) were curly lettuce, looseleaf lettuce, red lettuce, chives, coriander, kale, basil, arugula, parsley, iceberg lettuce, chicory, and bean sprouts. The prevalences of total coliforms (88 to 100%) and thermotolerant coliforms (37 to 100%) were high, but Salmonella was not detected in any of the analyzed samples. All open markets sold vegetables contaminated with enteroparasites, mainly Entamoeba sp., Balantidium coli, Strongyloides sp., Ascaris sp., Enterobius vermicularis, and Ancylostomidae. Contamination was detected in all the regions (north, northeast, central west, southeast, and south) and types of vegetables, with higher prevalences in the northeast region, mainly in basil, lettuce, and chives. Contamination of vegetables by potentially pathogenic microorganisms is a national problem, and the distribution centers should improve quality control of these commercial vegetables. Considering the high frequency of enteroparasites and bacteria and the potential risk of disease transmitted by vegetables, we suggest greater enforcement of the sanitary surveillance of food offered to the public.

Qualitative parameters of non-traditional types of vegetables

The main aim of this study was to determine selected quality indicators of non-traditional types of leafy vegetables. Mizuna (Brassica rapa japonica), Chinese mustard (Brassica juncea), edible chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum coronarium) and arugula (Eruca sativa) belonged among the selected species of vegetables. During the one-year experiment, spring and autumn sowing was carried out for these species of vegetables. The measured quality parameters were the content of nitrates and ascorbic acid. Sampling was done in the morning and in the laboratory, the samples were further processed according to the type of determination. To determine the content of nitrates and ascorbic acid, leaves were removed from plants. The filtrate from the leaves was then prepared. Determination of nitrates and ascorbic acid was carried out using a special test strip and device Rqflex plus 10. The results of measurement of both sowing varieties were compared. Total nitrate content was higher up to 22% in plants sown in the autumn except edible chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum coronarium). The highest content was recorded in arugula (Eruca sativa), which was recently implemented to the studies of the European Union and for which there were set the limits of nitrates. Overall, the nitrate content ranged from 221 to 334 ppm in spring varieties and from 249 to 384 mg/kg in autumn varieties. Ascorbic acid content was very high in Chinese mustard (Brassica juncea), edible chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum coronarium) and arugula (Eruca sativa) in both spring and autumn varieties. Values of ascorbic acid ranged from 839 in autumn sowing up to 2909 mg/kg in spring sowing. These non-traditional types of leafy vegetables could be included among the other importants sources of vitamin C in the future.

Development and Validation of an UV-Visible Method for the Determination of β-Carotene in the Leafy Vegetables in Thailand

Determination of β-carotene content in four types of leafy vegetables, water morning glory, kale, lettuce and Chinese cabbage by using a simple, rapid and low cost of UV-Visible method. This study was in the concentration range of 0.5 to 12 mg/L, and showed the linear regression equation y = 0.0764x - 0.0008, and an excellent linearity with correlation coefficient (R2) was 0.9999. The accuracy of the method analysis was reported by percentage recovery of about 80-106%. The precision was reported by percent of relative standard deviation and varies for intra-day 3.92% and inter-day 3.99%. The limits of detection and limit of quantification were 0.004 and 0.013 mg/L, respectively. Acetone is the most suitable for extraction, ratio of weight of samples to solvent, and extraction time was 1:3 g/mL and 10 min. Moreover, the most appropriate storage temperature for leafy vegetable samples is 4°C. Evaluation of β-carotene content under the suitable conditions in the kale, Chinese cabbage, lettuce and water morning glory was found to be 27.96 ± 2.99, 19.35 ± 1.92, 18.78 ± 0.88 and 18.48 ± 1.86 mg/100 g, respectively.

IMPACT OF LIGHT INTENSITY ON FLUCTUATIONS IN GROWTH AND NUTRIENT CONTENT OF LEAFY VEGETABLES UNDER ARTIFICIAL CONDITIONS

The impact of variability in light intensity (photosynthetic photon flux, PPF) at a closed plant factory with artificial light on fluctuations in growth and nutrient content (ascorbic acid, β-carotene, calcium and iron) of 3 types of leafy vegetables was investigated to examine the possibility of nutritional labeling for leafy vegetables. Chingensai (Brassica rapa L. var. chinensis), Komatsuna (Brassica rapa L. var. peruviridis), and Rocket (Eruca vesicaria L.) were cultivated in a hydroponic culture system under artificial conditions (white fluorescent lamps as light source). Four test treatments were established with PPF values of 160, 200, 240, and 280 μmol m-2.s-1. Fresh and dry weights were greater with higher PPF values for all plant species. However, no impact of PPF was observed on the dry matter ratio or the proportion of the fresh weight of leaf blades in relation to the total fresh weight of plants. Except for ascorbic acid concentration in Chingensai and β-carotene and iron concentrations in Rocket, no significant differences in nutrient concentrations (fresh or dry weight basis) were revealed in relation to PPF. The coefficient of variation for nutrients was relatively smaller than that of fresh and dry weight in all crops. There were only small fluctuations in nutrient concentrations attributable to variation in PPF in these leafy vegetables, particularly in Chingensai and Komatsuna, which have a uniform shape and growth rate. Thus, nutritional labeling in leafy vegetables cultivated in plant factories is considered possible.

Phytochemicals, antioxidant and antimicrobial activity of Hibiscus sabdariffa, Centella asiatica, Moringa oleifera and Murraya koenigii leaves

Many exotic vegetables remain uninvestigated as potential sources of bioactive nutrients. The objective was to determine and compare nutrients, selected phytochemicals and antioxidant and antimicrobial activities in three types of leafy vegetables and a spice, including Hibiscus sabdariffa, Centella asiatica, Moringa oleifera, and Murraya koenigii. Proximate analysis, vitamin C, beta-carotene, phenolics and flavanoids contents including antioxidant capacity and antimicrobial activity were determined. Soluble dietary fiber, vitamin C and lutein contents were highest in the leaf of H. sabdariffa including high contents of flavanoids and phenolic acids. M. oleifera leaf had the highest contents of carotenoids, (-) epicatechin and o-coumaric acid while M. koenigii’s leaf had the highest content of benzoic acid. The anti-radical power values were 1.03, 0.63, 0.41, and 1.19 mg DPPH/mg extract for the ethanolic extracts from C. asiatica, M. koenigii, H. sabdariffa, and M. oleifera leaves, respectively. Total phenolic contents of the ethanolic extracts significantly affected their anti-radical power with a strong positive correlation between the total phenolic contents and their anti-radical power values. Antimicrobial activity of the three leaf extracts against Listeria monocytogenes,Salmonella typhimurium, and E. coli O157:H7 resulted in H. sabdariffa L. to exhibit the most antibacterial activity among all extracts evaluated in this study showing pathogen reduction to non-detectable limits. These leaves can be used as potential sources of vitamins, minerals, phenolics with antioxidant activity and as antimicrobial agents with potential medicinal value. Key words: Phytochemicals, Moringa oleifera, Hibiscus sabdariffa, Murraya koenigii,antioxidant, antimicrobial.

Nitrate and nitrite levels in commonly consumed vegetables in Hong Kong

Levels of nitrate and nitrite in 73 different vegetables, a total of 708 individual samples grouped into leafy, legumes, root and tuber, and fruiting vegetables, which are traded mainly in Hong Kong, were measured. Where available, five samples of each vegetable type were purchased from different commercial outlets during the winter of 2008 and summer of 2009. Levels of nitrate and nitrite were determined by ion chromatography and flow injection analysis, respectively. Nitrate and nitrite levels of all samples ranged <4–6300 and <0.8–9.0 mg kg−1, respectively. Nitrate concentrations for the different groups, in descending order, were leafy > root and tuber > fruiting and legume vegetables. More than 80% of vegetables had mean nitrate concentrations less than 2000 mg kg−1, but mean nitrate concentrations of three types of leafy vegetables, namely Chinese spinach, Shanghai cabbage and Chinese white cabbage, were >3500 mg kg−1. On the other hand, nitrite concentrations were generally low – <1 mg kg−1 on average. Nitrate in vegetables (i.e. Chinese flowering cabbage, Chinese spinach and celery) can be reduced significantly (12–31%) after blanching for 1–3 min, but not after soaking.

Dietary fiber composition of common vegetables and fruits in Malaysia

Dietary fiber analyses were carried out using Southgate's method (Southgate, 1978) on 15 types of leafy vegetables and five types each of fruit-vegetables, leguminous vegetables and fruits. The non-cellulosic fractions were always higher than the cellulosic and lignin fraction. Total dietary fiber contents were highest in leguminous vegetables (3·3–6·8 g/100 g), followed by the leafy vegetables (1·2–4·8 g/100 g) and finally, the fruit-vegetables (1·4–4·2 g/100 g). The fiber contents of fruit samples were relatively low (1·5–2·9 g/100 g). In comparison with crude fiber values, the dietary fiber values were always higher.