Dietary Intakes of Minerals, Essential and Toxic Trace Elements for Adults from Eragrostis tef L.: A Nutritional Assessment

• Published in: Nutrients Vol. 10; no. 4; p. 479
• Main Authors: Koubová, Eva, Sumczynski, Daniela, Šenkárová, Lenka, Orsavová, Jana, Fišera, Miroslav
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 12-04-2018; MDPI
• Subjects: Adults; Arsenic; Body weight; Cadmium; Cereals; Dietary intake; dietary intakes; Dietary minerals; Eragrostis tef; essential trace elements; Females; Grain; Health risk assessment; ICP-MS; Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry; Iron; Magnesium; Males; Manganese; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; Mercury; Minerals; Nutrition assessment; toxic trace elements; Trace elements; Zinc; Eragrostis tef; dietary intakes; minerals; toxic trace elements; ICP-MS; essential trace elements
• ISSN: 2072-6643; 2072-6643
• DOI: 10.3390/nu10040479

This study analysed the contents of thirty-six mineral and trace elements in teff (
L.) grains. What is more, dietary intakes were calculated. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was used to assess mineral and trace element contents. Consequently, the appropriate Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) or adequate intake (AI), and provisional tolerable weekly intake (PTWI) or provisional tolerable monthly intake (PTMI) values for adults were determined according to the Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) and Institute of Medicine (IOM) regulations. Teff is a significant contributor to RDAs and AIs for females in the following order: Mn > Cu > Zn ≥ Mg > Fe ≥ P and Ca. For males, teff contributes in the order, Mn > Cu > Fe > Zn ≥ P ≥ Mg > and Ca. The concentration of arsenic (65.9 µg/kg) in brown teff originating in Bolivia exceeded the average acceptable value set by Reg. No. 1881 of 6-50 µg/kg in cereals consumed in the EU. The PTWIs or PTMIs for Al, Cd, Sn and Hg were all under 7%, which is below the limits of toxic element intake related to the body weight of 65 kg for adult females and 80 kg for males, set by the FAO/WHO. Teff grains can be recommended as a valuable and safe source of minerals and trace elements.