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HANG TUAH MEDICAL JOURNAL
www.journal-medical.hangtuah.ac.id
Research article
Determination of Tumeric Potential for the Stabilization of Specific Mineral Elements in Two Sokoto Tomato Types
HAMZA, A. 1, GUMI A. M. 2, ALIERO A. A.2, A.I. UMAR3, YUSUF SARKINGOBIR1, UMAR TAMBARI1
1Department of Environmental Education Shehu Shagari University of Education Sokoto State, Nigeria
2Department of Biological Sciences Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto State, Nigeria
3 Department of Biochemistry Sokoto State University Sokoto, Nigeria
*Correspondence: [email protected] Tel: +2348164135234
Abstract
Tomatoes contain various essential mineral elements for the body. Efforts to maintain the mineral content in tomatoes can be made by giving a natural preservative, such as turmeric. This study aimed to assess the effect of turmeric on mineral elements in two kinds of tomato from Sokoto, Nigeria. We used 5%, 10%, and 25% neem extracts (5g, 10g, and 25g) dissolved in 9.5, 9.0, and 7.5 liters of distilled water to preserve tomatoes. The experiment had a completely randomized design.
After the examination, atomic absorption spectroscopy identified the elements Na, K, Ca, Mg, and P in the tomatoes. When Daneka tomato was observed, 2.0 to 2.5 (ppm), 3.2 to 3.7 (ppm), 2.2 to 2.6 (ppm), 0.42 to 0.46 (ppm), and 0.4510 to 0.4800 (ppm) are the respective concentrations revealed under turmeric storage method for Na, K, C, Mg, and P. The protection of different elements' concentration depends on the concentration of the turmeric applied in the preservation methods. 3.5 to 3.8 (ppm), 2.7 to 2.9 (ppm), 1.4 to 1.8 (ppm), 0.45 to 0.49 (ppm), and 1.2 to 1.9 (ppm) are the ranges of elements compositions of UTC tomatoes after storage under turmeric, for Na, K, Ca, Mg, and P respectively. In the end, the study has indicated a rising concentration of elements in all the tomato types depending on the increasing turmeric concentration. The turmeric can preserve a typical tomato quality parameter:
element concentration at a p = 0.05 significant level.
Keywords: Tomatoes, mineral elements, turmeric.
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INTRODUCTION
Fruits and vegetables are popular food materials consumed in several parts of the world, increasing the production of these two important diets. Tomatoes, botanically known as Solanum lycopersicum, are one of the world's most farmed and consumed vegetable crops. They are members of the Solanaceae family (Aliyu et al., 2018; Ali et al., 2020). Among the several vegetables planted in Nigeria, the tomato is the most important in its production scale and consumption level. Tomatoes are important in providing local and nutritional food requirements in Nigeria. They are part of the normal daily diet taken by most people across the world due to their several essential nutrients contents such as sugars, lycopene, and metabolites; that are important to the health of the human body (Sharma, 2015; Vaselina and Dinev, 2021).
Carotenes, phenolics, fiber, proteins, amino acids, acids, vitamin C, and mineral elements are other useful contents in tomatoes that called for their usage in our daily diet (Sarkar et al., 2015; Abdullahi et al., 2016; Hassan et al., 2018). Mineral elements naturally exist in many food items as inorganic substances that the human body needs to function in metabolism, regulate pH, maintain blood pressure, nerve transmission, energy production, muscle relaxation, and contraction, and many more (Ali et al., 2021).
More specifically, calcium, sodium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus are needed by the body at a range of >50 milligrams every day, making them essential for the human body and major needs of the body (Ali et al., 2021). Sodium is essential in the human body to regulate blood pressure; therefore, its levels must be optimal to avoid high blood pressure due to excessive intake. Calcium element is the most rampant mineral in the human body performing many functions such as regulation of muscle contraction, participation in blood clotting, making of bones, and making of teeth. A small potassium level in the human body can lead to high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, heart disease, infertility, digestion problems, and arthritis (Morakinyo et al., 2016). Magnesium metal is applicable in several biological processes in the human body, such as being a component of over 300 enzymes that act in the metabolic reactions of the body (like in protein synthesis, muscle regulation, blood glucose control, blood pressure regulation), production of energy, glycolysis,
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oxidative phosphorylation, structuring of bone, and it serves in the making of D.N.A., R.N.A., and glutathione (a major antioxidant in the human biological system) (Al- Fartuisie and Mohsan, 2017). Phosphorus is a vital element in the biological system;
in addition to that, it maintains the stability of R.N.A. and D.N.A. (Oves and Iqbal, 2019). It is needed in bone mineralization, ATP production, signal transmission, and the like (Serna and Bergwitz, 2020). The benefits mentioned above of elements contained in tomatoes are crucial to reducing malnutrition, ravaging the country, especially Sokoto, which lies in Northern Nigeria (Gada and Ismaila, 2021).
Consequently, the production of tomatoes and utilization of various processing methods have skyrocketed over the years to meet the demand of the increasing human population and increasing public health issues in the region. The use of different processing methods is also needed due to the nature of tomatoes to suffer changes in quality parameters, deteriorate rapidly, poor transport systems in the region, poverty in the area, scarcity of basic amenities, and the other militating factors of the region (Garcia et al., 2014; Sarkar et al., 2015; Abdullahi et al., 2019; Gada and Ismaila, 2021). In this line, many people apply chemicals to preserve their tomatoes after harvest for longer. However, the application of chemicals is affected by their tendency to cause much harm to the biological system, in addition to that effects such as headache, immune response, mental problems, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. There is no actual data regarding the prevalence of the disease caused by consuming chemical preservatives for a long time. Still, several studies state that populations that use chemical preservatives have a higher risk of experiencing various diseases than populations that use not consume them. (Umar et al., 2018a;
Udah, 2021; Zewdie et al., 2022). Therefore, it is utmost to search for a tomato preservative like turmeric that has low or neutral effects on the human body and has other useful properties such as cheapness, easy-to-get, environmentally friendly, and possessed other sustainable properties; to preserve tomatoes that remain a vital agricultural product that is utilized in most parts of the world and Sokoto region in particular. Research on using turmeric as a safe preservative has existed, but no one has linked it to the mineral content of foodstuffs, especially tomatoes. As a result, this study aims to observe how storing tomatoes with turmeric affects the levels of
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selected elements (sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus) in Sokoto, Nigeria.
RESEARCH METHODE 2.1 Study location
The research was conducted in the state of Sokoto, Nigeria.
2.2 Preparation of Samples
Tomatoes and turmeric were acquired from Sokoto Metropolis in Nigeria's Sokoto state. Following tomato proof of identity, turmeric was transported to the plant's physiologist laboratory, washed, air-dried, crushed into a fine powder, and stored for onward examination.
2.3 Preparation of turmeric extract
The powdered turmeric leaves (A. indica) were mixed in distilled water to make 5%, 10%, and 25% (w/v) aqueous neem extract solutions to cover the tomatoes.
Neem material was dispersed (with weight: 5g; 10g; and 25g) in distilled water ( volume 9.5; 9.0; and 7.5 liters (Sarkingobir et al., 2022).
2.4 Experimental treatment
UTC and Daneka tomatoes with ripe, firm, smooth, and healthy skins are selected, cleaned under a running tap and distilled water, washed away, and left to air-dry before treatment. The experimental process used Hosea et al. recommended techniques (2017).
2.5 Elemental and data analysis
Mineral elements such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus were measured using the procedures outlined in Sanusi et al. (2020).
Additionally, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyze the data at the 5%
level of significance.
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RESULT
3.1. Effectiveness of neem on maintaining the fundamental components of two tomato cultivars from Sokoto
TABLE 1.The Effect of Turmeric in preserving mineral elements present in Daneka tomato type from Sokoto
Storage condition
Sodium (Na) ppm
Potassium (K) ppm
Calcium (Ca) ppm
Magnesium (Mg) ppm
Phosphorus (P) ppm Control
(0%)
1.0 2.0 2.0 0.40 0.3100
5% 2.0 3.2 2.2 0.42 0.4510
10% 2.3 3.4 2.3 0.43 0.4600
25% 2.5 3.7 2.6 0.46 0.4800
4OC 2..3 3.5 2.3 0.35 0.4000
The value of the f-ratio is 253.56526. with p-value < 0.05. The p-value is .0001.
3.2 The effects of neem on the elemental compositions of the UTC tomato cultivar from Sokoto
TABLE 2. The Effect of Turmeric in preserving mineral elements present in UTC tomato type from Sokoto
Storage condition
Sodium (ppm)
Potassium (ppm)
Calcium (ppm)
Magnesium (ppm)
Phosphorus (ppm)
Control (0%) 3.0 2.4 1.1 0.40 1.0
5% 3.5 2.7 1.4 0.45 1.2
10% 3.7 2.8 1.5 0.47 1.3
25% 3.8 2.9 1.8 0.49 1.9
4OC 3.6 2.7 1.9 0.45 1.7
The f-ratio value is 43.82848. The p–value is <.0001; therefore, the result is significant at p < .05.
DISCUSSION
Table 1 shows the concentrations of different elements after subjecting the Daneka tomato type to the preservation method under turmeric extract. 2.0 to 2.5 (ppm), 3.2 to 3.7 (ppm), 2.2 to 2.6 (ppm), 0.42 to 0.46 (ppm), and 0.4510 to 0.4800
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(ppm) are the respective concentrations revealed under turmeric storage method for Na, K, C, Mg, and P. It is encouraging to find that the element concentrations (Na, Ca, Mg) are higher than those observed in fresh tomatoes in a Spanish study.
(Ciudad-Mulero et al., 2022). The findings are also higher than those of an Austrian study's reported Na, K, Ca, Mg, and P levels (Sager, 2017). In a similar finding, Nigerian research indicated that using turmeric is a method that helps in preserving the proximate and lycopene content of tomatoes (Olanira et al., 2013). This study showed how turmeric had maintained some elements in tomatoes despite the storage duration effect. And it is an indication that the storage under turmeric has the potential to protect tomatoes from contributing to the recommended dietary intake of humans (Ciudad-Mulero et al., 2022). However, there are possible strategies that the turmeric achieves its preservation potential by suppressing the growth of microbes that causes spoilage of the tomatoes (Olanira et al., 2013).
It has been indicated in Table 2 that applying turmeric for the storage of tomatoes has yielded appreciable protection of concentrations of mineral elements (Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus) better than in the control treatment. The protection of different elements' concentration depends on the concentration of the turmeric applied in the preservation methods. 3.5 to 3.8 (ppm), 2.7 to 2.9 (ppm), 1.4 to 1.8 (ppm), 0.45 to 0.49 (ppm), and 1.2 to 1.9 (ppm) are the ranges of elements compositions of tomatoes after storage under turmeric, for Na, K, Ca, Mg, and P respectively. The sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus determined in the UTC tomatoes after storage under turmeric preservative show concentrations that are higher than the levels defined in new tomato varieties in an Austrian study and can contribute significantly to the needed recommended dietary intake for humans (Ciudad-Mulero et al., 2022). Another study in Benue state, Nigeria, has corroborated this work by showing that blending tomatoes with turmeric during storage has enhanced the fruits' nutritive value and preservative potential (Utoo and Asemave, 2022). However, the ability of turmeric to confer preservation in fruits was justified by its bioactive compounds that work to inhibit the growth and development of microbes that cause spoilage and the resultant reduction in nutritional quality in fruits. Therefore, when the microbes are inhibited,
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there is a considerable enhancement of quality parameters in tomatoes (Rao and Lakshmanna, 2018; Utoo and Asemave, 2022).
This study has shown the significant elements essential for the human biological system. Elements in the human biological system are free or combined components of tissues and cells. Na, Ca, K, Mg, and P metals are essential macroelements because humans need them from food in significant concentrations.
Therefore, their presence and preservation in tomatoes is a welcome development.
Sodium and potassium are abundant cations that help ensure nerve impulse transmission, osmoregulation, and blood pressure regulation (Sarkingobir et al., 2020;
Nefasa et al., 2022). Calcium is needed for muscle contraction, the transmission of impulses, teeth, and skeleton formation. Over 300 enzymes require magnesium to perform their metabolic functions in the biological system. Phosphorus serves as a buffer in plasma, a component of enamel, and a component of nucleic acids, and it is the essential energy stored in the biological system (Sarkingobir et al., 2020; Sense et al., 2020). The Sokoto state lies in the semi-arid region of Nigeria that battle with the challenges of insecurity, hunger, malnutrition, water quality issues, double burden of diseases, lack of basic social amenities in rural areas, and the like (Umar et al., 2017; Aliyu et al., 2018; Umar et al., 2018b; Kaoje et al., 2019; Sarkingobir et al., 2019; Sarkingobir et al., 2020). Therefore, finding the significant levels of Na, K, Ca, Mg, and P in tomatoes after preservation with a cheap, accessible, and sustainable turmeric is an outstanding glad tiding. Indeed, the elements could significantly contribute to reducing malnutrition and various related forms of deficiency reported by the region's population (Malick, 2021; Nefasa et al., 2022; Sarkingobir and Yabo, 2022).). There were no procedures in this study to taste the tomato flavor with turmeric preservatives, but this will be done later in the research. It is important to further studies on the efficiency of the plant turmeric. It educates farmers on its sustainable use in tomato production to feed the community.
CONCLUSION
Based on the results of this work, it has been explicitly deciphered that the turmeric plant effectively preserves the elemental contents of two tomato types from
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Sokoto. Thus, turmeric can provide a cheap, accessible, and sustainable preservative in the state. It will help contribute to quotas in reducing effects due to malnutrition, climate change effects, and looped policies. And in a similar vein, useful to reduce the impact of using chemicals to preserve tomatoes to safeguard public health and the environment.
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