Bioaccessibility and bioavailability of nutrients and toxic elements in lettuce (Lactuca sativa)

Abstract

In this study the total content and bioaccessible and bioavailable contents of Cd, Pb, Zn and Fe in lettuce will be evaluated. For studies of bioavailability and bioaccessibility the procedure employed will be the in vitro gastrointestinal digestion, followed by studies on absorption of minerals by the Caco-2 cells, which are a model of epithelial cell extracted from the human colon. The techniques used are optical emission spectrometry with inductively coupled plasma ICP OES and/or graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry GF AAS for the quantification of the total content of the elements. For the determination of the fractions bioaccessible and bioavailable, the choice of technique will be made by assessing the level of element concentration in the sample. Considering that the Brazilian population is not aware of the actual nutritional value of food, it is hoped this study make a contribution to the knowledge of the nutritional value and toxic effect in lettuce, in relation to the analytes studied. Furthermore, we will evaluate the effective absorption of these metals by the human body by means of bioavailability studies.