Mineral content of some wild green leafy vegetables of North-East India

Pankaj Saikia* and Dibakar Cha

Abstract

In the present study, macroelements (Na, K, Ca, Mg and P) and trace elements (Fe, Zn, Cu Mn, Cr and Ni) content of fresh and cooked vegetables of twenty one wild vegetables traditionally consumed in North-East India were examined. All the examined vegetables are found to be rich source of macroelements as well as trace minerals. Calcium is the most abundant macroelement ranging from 125.7 mg/100g to 543.2 mg/100g. Cooking significantly (p<0.05) decreases the level of potassium, magnesium, phosphorous and calcium in most of vegetables. Iron is the most abundant microelement in the examined vegetables which ranged between 6.97 mg/100g to 22.73 mg/100g. Cooking has no significant (p>0.05) effect on the trace elements of most of vegetables.