Determination of microelements profile in fruits from the Solomon Islands

Abstract

The present study has evaluated the profile of the microelements as an indicator of fruit quality and sources for minerals. The microelements contents were determined in the tropical fruits from the Solomon Islands, using atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The highest contents of Cu (1.38 ± 0.19 mg/100 g), Zn (2.17 ± 0.12 mg/100 g), Fe (2.86 ± 0.12 mg/100 g) and Co (0.0046 ± 0.0001 mg/100 g) were in cutnut while kondali and golden apple had the highest contents of Mn (2.08 ± 0.04 mg/100 g) and Ni (0.048 ± 0.002 mg/100 g), respectively. Fe was dominant while Co contents were the least in most fruits. The fruits covering of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) and adequate intake (AI) showed Cu as the highest RDA contributor followed by Mn, Co, Zn, Fe and Ni. The studied fruits have demonstrated the highest covering of RDA/AI for children, followed by adolescents and adults. Most fruits had microelements below RDA/AI amounts but classified as ‘sources’ above 15 % RDA and ‘rich sources’ above 30 % RDA which revealed most fruits in 100 g portion as sources or rich sources of microelements for children but not for adolescents and adults due to their higher dietary requirements.