Estimation of toxic elements in jam, juice and concentrates using Shimadzu Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS)

Introduction

Commercially available fruit jams, juices and concentrates contains different physiologically and nutritionally important compounds, e.g. bioactive phytochemicals (phenolic, flavonoids, carotenoids) and vital nutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins). An increased popularity and demand for these food items is due to increased awareness about healthcare and average life expectancy in society. All these reasons make fruit juices very widely consumed in both developed and developing countries, and by different age groups. Apart from nutritional and functional compounds, fruit juices contain many major (macro elements Ca, K, Mg), minor (microelements Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn) and trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Hg, Se). Copper plays an important role in hemoglobin synthesis. Zinc is essential for many enzymes involved in several physiological functions such as protein synthesis and energy metabolism. Lead is highly toxic element that accumulates in biological systems and it leads to deficits in psychological functions such as intelligence and learning ability in humans. Even though macronutrients are required for many biological functions, their excess presence in human body leads to health hazards. The main sources of the elements in such samples may be water, fruit, soil, manufacturing process, container and environmental contamination due to fertilizers, pesticides, raw materials, etc. Considering the nutritional value associated with essential elements indispensable for life maintenance on one hand, and the health hazard of toxic elements on another hand, elemental analysis of these food items is of importance. It becomes particularly important for fruit juices, due to high seasonal variability in their elemental composition. Their regular examination with respect to elemental content, can bring valuable information about their suitability for consuming. Reliable information on the elemental content of jam, fruit juice, and concentrates can help producers to improve the overall quality of these products by identifying sources of contamination with toxic elements. It is also important for consumers in view of the nutritional value of jam, fruit juices and concentrates. The present work aimed to develop an ICP-MS method for determination of toxic elements in jam, juice and concentrates samples as per FSSAI limitations.

January 10, 2020 GMT