Abstract

LIMA-PALLONE, Juliana Azevedo; RAMOS CATHARINO, Rodrigo  and  TEIXEIRA GODOY, Helena. Folate determination in spinach. Influence of cultivation, harvest and cooking methods. ALAN [online]. 2008, vol.58, n.1, pp.81-86. ISSN 0004-0622.

The aim of this work was to determine vitamin contents in spinach produced by different cultivation type (organic and traditional), harvesting period and after cooking in water. The determination was carried out by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. There was no significant difference in folate contents between spinach cultivated by traditional and organic method and there was also no significant difference between the values obtained at different periods of the year. Folate levels determined as 5-methylTHF and 5-formylTHF varied from 226 to 527 μg/100g and 4.6 to 10 μg/100g, respectively. Cooking in water resulted in approximately 74% of losses of 5-methylTHF and 56% of 5-formylTHF. The mainly losses occurred by leaching.

Keywords : Folatos; espinafre; tipo de cultivo; cozimento; época de colheita; métodos analíticos.