Chemical speciation of Fe e Se in sprouts of azuki beans: evaluation of enrichment process

Abstract

The sprouts are highly nutritious foods, whose production is fast, about 4 to 6 days and can be performed at any time of the year without the need of soil, fertilizers, pesticides and direct sunlight. Therefore, the sprouts are considered pesticide-free foods that should be highlighted in human nutrition and grows considerably in different countries. The sprouts are fully natural, using only the stored reserves in seeds to germinate and to achieve size to be consumed, in addition to being a good source of minerals, vitamins, proteins, and present low calorie. This way, when the present power supply potential nutritional deficiencies. Furthermore, it is possible to enrich the sprouts with essential elements. Food fortification processed food or grown in rich medium is a way to supply the deficiency of micronutrients, being a recommended intervention alternative, particularly for locations where high prevalence. It is important to point out that it necessary to know the elemental species capable of being absorbed and used by plants in its metabolism and the species formed after enrichment, is necessary to evaluate whether these fortified foods have the same chemical characteristics from those formed when food is grown under natural conditions. In this way, the project aims to evaluate the enrichment of azuki bean sprouts with Fe and Se. The effect of enrichment will be evaluated by determining the concentration of total Fe, Se and macro elements, besides quantifying total protein. Additionally, chemical speciation studies will also be performed to evaluate the enrichment of sprouts. Therefore, metalloproteins Fe and Se will be studied, in addition to inorganic species Fe. (AU)