Assessment of the nutritional value of selected wild food plants in Türkiye and their promotion for improved nutrition

Türkiye represents one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, containing over 11,000 species of plants, with an estimated 10% being edible. Wild food plants, especially in rural areas, are collected and eaten or sold in local markets, complementing people’s diets, and represent a source of additional income for foraging households. Yet, the use of wild food plants is declining, with both their dietary and cultural values being undermined. Wild food plants can be used as a healthy dietary alternative to imported and ultra-processed foods, particularly as the Turkish population increasingly suffers from diet-related diseases. Using a unique and innovative approach to mainstream biodiversity for food and nutrition, wild food plants from five different regions of Türkiye were analyzed to determine their nutrient composition, and to evaluate their contribution not only to diets and nutrition, but to promoting a more sustainable food system. Examples are presented of how the approach was put into practice and how action was taken to (i) strengthen the evidence of the nutritional value of wild food plants; (ii) use this knowledge to shape new policies and identify emerging markets for food biodiversity; and, (iii) improve awareness of consumers, using capacity building and farmer training, gastronomy, and cultural events

The potential of neglected and underutilized species for improving diets and nutrition

The paper highlights the novel and ingenious approaches Brazil, Kenya, Sri Lanka and Turkey used to prioritize a rich diversity of NUS for healthier diets and improved nutrition, and how this knowledge was used to mainstream these plant species into production and consumption systems. The paper concludes with some perspectives on the way forward for NUS and the community working on them in meeting the challenges of malnutrition and environmental sustainability in the 2030 sustainable development context

Element analysis in some food supplements with ICP-MS and analytical problems

Gıda takviyelerinin indüktif eşleşmiş plazma kütle spektrometresi(ICP-MS) ile element içeriklerinin belirlenmesi amacıyla element analizlerinin önemli bir basamağını oluşturan örnek hazırlama işlemi optimize edilmiş ve ticari olarak piyasada satışa sunulan bazı gıda takviyelerinde element analizleri gerçekleştirilmiştir. Optimizasyon çalışmalarında çönünürleştirilmesi diğer gıda takviyelerine göre daha zor olan balık yağ gıda takviyesi kullanılmıştır. Örnek hazırlama için mikrodalga ısıtmalı ve Block Digester yaş yakma sistemlerinde örnek miktarı, HNO3, HCl ve H2O2 miktarı faktörler olarak belirlenerek, optimizasyon çalışmaları Merkezi Kompozit Dizayn yöntemi kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Mikrodalga sistemi için optimum olarak belirlenen değerler; 0,24g. örnek miktarı, 4,50 mL HNO3 miktarı, 1,11 mL HCl ve 0,75 mL H2O2, Block Digester sistemi için ise 0,46 g örnek miktarı, 7,35 mL HNO3, 2,51 mL HCl ve 0,75 mL H2O2 olmuştur. Yapılan geri kazanım çalışmaları sonucunda mikrodalga ısıtmalı yaş yakma sistemi uygun çözünürleştirme yöntemi olarak belirlenmiştir. ICP-MS cihazındaki girişim etkilerini incelemek amacıyla reaksiyon gazı(He) kullanarak ve kullanılmadan geri kazanım çalışmaları yapılmış ve Cd, Hg ve Pb elementlerinin geri kazanım değerlerinde önemli bir fark bulunmazken As elementine ait geri kazanım değerlerinde He gazı kullanılmadığında önemli bir fark gözlenmiştir. Piyasada satışa sunulan 17 çeşit gıda takviyelerinde Na, Mg, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg ve Pb elementlerinin analizleri gerçekleştirilmiş ve ürünlerden birinin Pb ve Hg içeriğinin Türk Gıda Kodeksi Bulaşanlar Yönetmeliği'ne göre limitlerin üzerinde olduğu tespit edilmiştir.A convenient sample preparation method was developed for the determination of 13 elements in various food supplements by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Fish oil supplement was used in the optimization of sample preparation step because of difficulties in mineralization. Several variables that can potentially affect the extraction efficiency, namely nitric acid, hyrochloric acid, perchloric acid volume and sample amount were optimized by means of a central composite design approach using closed vessel microwave digestion and Block Digester systems. Optimum values for microwave system were 0.24 g. sample, 4.50 mL HNO3, 1,11 mL HCl and 0.75 mL H2O2, for Block Digester system 0.46 g of the sample, 7.35 mL HNO3, 2,51 mL HCl and 0.75 mL H2O2 volume. The samples digested by microwave system revealed the best recoveries and microwave digestion system is selected as appropriate digestion method. In order to examine interference effects recovery studies were performed in He mode (using a reaction gas(He) in collision reaction cell) and no gas mode. There was no significant difference in recovery values for both mode except for As. Seventeen different commercially available dietary supplements were analysed by ICP-MS for their inorganic elemental compositions including Na, Mg, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Hg and Pb. The results revealed that only one sample had Pb and Hg levels above the maximum allowable limits set by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock.Gıda Tarım ve Hayvancılık Bakanlığı Tarımsal Araştırmalar ve Politikalar Genel MüdürlüğüBursa Gıda ve Yem Kontrol Merkez Araştırma Enstitüs