Bioaccessibility and bioavailability of essential and potentially toxic trace elements in potato cultivars: A comprehensive nutritional evaluation

• Published in: Food research international 2024-07, Vol.187, p.114431-114431, Article 114431
• Main Authors: Nascimento, P.A., Menezes, I.M.N.R., Confortin, C., Micheletto, J., Filipak Neto, F., Oliveira Ribeiro, C.A., Peixoto, R.R.A., Oliveira, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological Availability; Caco-2 Cells; Digestion; Food safety; GFAAS; Humans; ICP OES; In vitro gastrointestinal digestion; Inorganic elements; Nutritive Value; Solanum tuberosum - chemistry; Trace Elements - analysis
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114431

[Display omitted] •Nutritional assessment of Ca, Mg, K, P, Cu, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cd, Cr, and Pb in potato.•Higher metal concentrations in potato peels than in the pulp.•Higher bioacessibility of Ca, Mg, P and K and lower of Cu, Zn and Fe.•Relevant fractions of P, Mn, Zn, and Fe from potatoes were absorbed by Caco-2 cells.•Potatoes analyzed did not present a health risk and good nutritional contribution. Among the most consumed foods in the world is potato, which occupies the first place as a non-grain commodity, demonstrating the importance of its assessment concerning the population's food safety. In this study, the nutrients Ca, Mg, K, P, Cu, Mn, Fe, and Zn and the potentially toxic trace elements Cd, Cr, and Pb were evaluated considering their total contents, bioaccessible and bioavailable fractions in different potato cultivars, in an unpublished approach in the literature. The in vitro standard gastrointestinal digestion method (INFOGEST) and a model of the intestinal epithelial barrier using the Caco-2 cell line were applied for investigate the presence of metals in potato. For the macroelements, the bioaccessibility (% w/w) varied in the ranges: K (57–72 %), P (59–76 %), Mg (83–103 %), and Ca (30–123 %), whereas for the microelements were: Cu (27–74 %) and Mn (4.22–12.02, 60–119 %). The potentially of trace toxic elements, Cd and Pb, were found in 75 % of the samples, however, all the concentration values were below the maximum levels allowed of 0.10 µg/g. Chromium was determined only in potato peels and has no maximum established level. The bioaccessible and bioavailable fractions of Cd, Cr, and Pb were below the limits of quantification of the spectrometric methods (LOQ − µg/L: 0.063 Cd, 0.65 Cr, and 0.44 Pb). The potato samples were considered safe for consumption regarding the presence of potentially toxic trace elements, with a remarkable nutritional contribution.