Manketti nuts (Schinziophyton rautanenii) and ushivi beans (Guibourtia coleosperma) as a potential source of mineral elements in human diet?– Macro- and microelement composition of exotic seeds

Abstract

The seeds of Schinziophyton rautanenii (manketti) and Guibourtia coleosperma (ushivi) could have great potential as food and food ingredient due to their valuable nutritional properties that might make them potential candidates for Novel Foods. However, only little has been reported about their mineral nutrient composition. Hence, detailed analysis on the macro- and microelement concentration was performed using inductively coupled plasma sector field mass spectrometry (ICP-SFMS). Method was validated for the analysis of target analytes regarding linearity, instrument precision, limits of detection and quantification, repeatability precision, and accuracy of results (confirmed using certified reference materials). Results obtained showed that manketti nuts offer a valuable source for macroelements Mg, Ca, P and K (571 ± 27 mg/100 g, 225 ± 13 mg/100 g, 1138 ± 63 mg/100 g and 750 ± 47 mg/100, respectively). Regarding essential microelements, Zn and Mn showed highest concentrations (5.82 ± 0.42 mg/100 g and 4.76 ± 0.62 mg/100 g, respectively). Ushivi beans contained high contents of K and Ca (639 ± 72 mg/100 g and 360 ± 99 mg/100 g, respectively). Also of importance were the results of Fe (2.79 ± 0.22 mg/100 g), Se (35.1 ± 17.3 µg/100 g) and Co (3.31 ± 0.57 µg/100 g). In addition, the comparison with the dietary reference values provided by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) showed that both seeds could significantly contribute to meeting the required levels of several mineral elements, which emphasizes the high value of manketti nuts and ushivi beans as important food and nutrient source.