Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências ISSN: 0001-3765 [email protected] Academia Brasileira de Ciências Brasil Spada, Patricia D.S.; Bortolin, Giovana V.; Prá, Daniel; Santos, Carla E.I.; Dias, Johnny F.; Henriques, João A.P.; Salvador, Mirian Macro and micro minerals: are frozen fruits a good source? Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências, vol. 82, núm. 4, 2010, pp. 861-867 Academia Brasileira de Ciências Rio de Janeiro, Brasil Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=32717686008 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative “main” — 2010/11/4 — 12:54 — page 861 — #1 Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências (2010) 82(4): 861-867 (Annals of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences) ISSN 0001-3765 www.scielo.br/aabc Macro and microminerals: are frozen fruits a good source? PATRICIA D.S. SPADA1, GIOVANA V. BORTOLINI1, DANIEL PRÁ2, CARLA E.I. SANTOS3, , JOHNNY F. DIAS3, JOÃO A.P. HENRIQUES1 4 and MIRIAN SALVADOR1 1Universidade de Caxias do Sul (UCS), Instituto de Biotecnologia Rua Francisco Getúlio Vargas, 1130, 95070-560 Caxias do Sul, RS, Brasil 2Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), PPG em Genética e Biologia Molecular Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Campus do Vale, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil 3Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Laboratório de Implantação Iônica, Instituto de Física Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Campus do Vale, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil 4Universidade Luterana do Brasil (ULBRA), Av. Farroupilha, 8001, Bairro São José, 92425-900 Canoas, RS, Brasil Manuscript received on September 3, 2009; accepted for publication on August 11, 2010 ABSTRACT Fruits are rich in minerals, which are essential for a wide variety of metabolic and physiologic processes in the human body. The use of frozen fruits has greatly spread in the last years not only in the preparation of juices, but also as raw material for yogurts, candies, cookies, cakes, ice creams, and children’s food. However, up to now there is no data about the mineral profile of frozen fruits. This is the first database to quantify the levels of minerals in 23samplesof frozen fruits, including the most used around the world and some native fruits from the Amazon rainforest in Brazil. Considering the Dietary Reference Intakes, 100g of frozen fruits can provide 0.2 to 2.8% of macro and 2.5 to 100% of microminerals for adults (31-50 years old). Although geographical differences should be considered, these data can help to plan diets and to develop population interventions aiming to prevent chronic diseases. Key words: diet, dietary recommendations, Dietary Reference Intakes, frozen fruits, minerals. INTRODUCTION Among the micronutrients found in fruits, miner- Many of the current diets are rich in fat, salt, and sugar, als represent a class of inorganic substances that is pres- and poor in complex carbohydrates, vitamins and min- ent in all kinds of fruits. The human body needs about erals, and are responsible for an increase in diet-related twenty different minerals in order to function properly diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular prob- (Williams 2006). These elements can be classified into lems, hypertension, osteoporosis, and cancer. It is be- macro and microminerals. Macro minerals are needed lieved that the ingestion of fruits and vegetables helps in amounts higher than 100 mg/day and include cal- to prevent these diseases. Fruits are important compo- cium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg), sulfur (S), nents of diet, responsible not only for adding a variety of sodium (Na), chloride (Cl) and potassium (K). Micro- color and texture to meals, but also for providing essen- minerals (needed in amounts lower than 100 mg/day) tial nutrients. Fruits are low-fat and low-calorie foods, include elements such as iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), iodine (I), with relatively small amounts of protein and carbohy- selenium (Se), manganese (Mn), chromium (Cr), copper drates. However, they are rich in fibers and add a lot of (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), fluorine (F), boron (B), cobalt significant micronutrients to the human diet (Zhi et al. (Co), silicon (Si), aluminum (Al), arsenic (Ar), tin (Sn), 2003). lithium (Li) and nickel (Ni) (Mahan and Escott-Stump 2005). Fruits are the most important source of both Correspondence to: Mirian Salvador E-mail: [email protected] macro and microminerals (Pellerano et al. 2008), which An Acad Bras Cienc (2010) 82 (4) “main” — 2010/11/4 — 12:54 — page 862 — #2 862 PATRICIA D.S. SPADA et al. are indispensable for the maintenance of life, growth, juices. With regard to red grape, lemon, orange, and and reproduction (Alsafwah et al. 2007). tangerine juices, flesh was separated from the fluid that Nowadays, a diet that is rich in fruits is associated was obtained from pressing. Pulps and juices were di- with a reduced risk of many diseases (Genkinger et al. vided into 100 g aliquots and kept frozen at –20◦C. No 2004). However, it is difficult to find fruits in natura organophosphorus or carbamate pesticides were detected – which are perishable – during all year round and/or in the samples, through assay described by Bastos et al. in places far from the harvesting field. The intake of (1991) and de Lima et al. (1996). frozen fruits has widely spread in many countries. They are easy to commercialize and are an important source PARTICLE INDUCED X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS of raw material. They can be used in yogurts, candies, cookies, cakes, ice creams, fresh drinks and children’s Quantification of mineral compounds that are present food (Hassimotto et al. 2005). In a recent work (Spada in frozen fruits was carried out using PIXE. This tech- et al. 2008), it was demonstrated that fruits, even frozen, nique has a truly multielemental capability, that is, all are rich in carotenoids, ascorbic acid and phenolic com- elements with atomic number higher than 11 can be si- pounds and present an important antioxidant activity. multaneously detected in a single measurement on the However, to our knowledge, there is no data about min- same target (Johansson et al. 1995). The sensitivity is eral levels in frozen fruits. Therefore, the aim of this very good (of about a few parts per million) and ranges study was to determine the mineral levels in 23 sam- smoothly as a function of atomic number. It is impor- ples of frozen fruit through PIXE (Particle Induced X- tant to note that PIXE sensitivity depends on the sam- ray Emission) technique. The results can be important ple being analyzed. The analysis is relatively fast and to help the population to achieve the recommended di- usually takes a few minutes. Since this technique is non- etary allowance (RDA) threshold for minerals. destructive, it preserves the original samples, allowing additional measurements if required. Sample prepara- MATERIALS AND METHODS tion in its solid form (for a variety of samples) does not require any sophisticated handling or chemical treat- FROZEN FRUITS ment, thus drastically reducing any chance of contami- Frozen pulp of acerola (Malpighia glabra L.), apple nation. Nowadays, PIXE is widely used to characterize (Malus domestica B.), acai (Euterpe oleracea L.), black a variety of materials, including biological, geological mulberry (Morus nigra M.), cashew apple (Anacardium and environmental samples (Kern et al. 2005, Franke occidentale L.), coconut (Cocos nucifera L.), cupuacu et al. 2006). For PIXE analysis, fruit samples were (Theobroma grandiflorum W.), kiwi fruit (Actinidia chi- dried, crushed and pressed into pellets, as described by nensis P.), mango (Mangifera indica L.), melon (Cu- (Franke et al. 2006). Measurements were carried out cumis melo L.), papaya (Carica papaya L.), passion fruit at the Ion Implantation Laboratory of the Physics In- (Passiflora alata C.), peach (Prunus persica L.), pineap- stitute of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. ple (Ananas sativus L.), raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.), A 3 MV Tandetron accelerator provided a 2 MeV pro- red guava (Psidium guajava L.), soursop (Annona muri- ton beam with an average current of 2 nA at the targets. cata L.), strawberry (Fragaria vesca L.), Surinam cherry The characteristic X-rays induced by the proton beam (Eugenia uniflora L.), and frozen juice of red grape were detected by a lithium doped silicon detector with (Vitis vinifera L.), lemon (Citrus limon B.), orange (Ci- an energy resolution of 155 eV at 5.9 keV, positioned trus aurantium L.) and tangerine (Citrus reticulata L.) at an 135◦ angle considering the beam direction. The were obtained from the company Mais Fruta (Antonio data were analyzed using the GUPIX code (Maxwell et Prado, RS, Brazil). Pulps and juices were produced with al. 1989, Campbell et al. 2000). The standardization fresh and clean fruits, free of filthy substances, para- procedure was carried out using an apple leaf standard sites, and plant or animal debris. Only edible portions from NIST (SRM-1515). All assays were performed in of the fruits were pressed in order to prepare pulps and triplicate and results were expressed in mg% (w/w). An Acad Bras Cienc (2010) 82 (4) “main” — 2010/11/4 — 12:54 — page 863 — #3 MACRO AND MICROMINERALS IN FROZEN FRUITS 863 STATISTICAL ANALYSIS hydroxyapatite crystal size, and thereby, preventing the larger crystals that could lead to brittle bone (Bonjour Data were subjected to analysis of variance and means et al. 2009). were compared using Tukey’s post-hoc test using the Around 0.5% (both sexes) of the DRI for Ca and SPSS program, version 12.0 (SPSS, Chicago, IL). P can be supplied by 100 g of frozen fruits.