Analysis of Nutritional and Functional Components, Heavy Metals, and Pesticide Residues of Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) Fruits From Minqin, China
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Abstract:
To evaluate the nutrient content, bioactive constituents, and safety of wolfberries (Lycium barbarum L.) from Minqin county, China, high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, and other relevant approaches were employed to measure nutritional and functional components, heavy metals and pesticide residues, and the amino acid composition of wolfberries. The results indicated that for the basic nutritional composition of Minqin wolfberries (100 g dry weight), the content of proteins, crude fats, and carbohydrates were 13.71, 3.09, and 60.08 g, respectively; for analysis of functional components, the content of polysaccharides, carotenoids, betaine, ascorbic acid, total phenolics, and flavonoids were 2.11 g, 569.81 mg, 1.57 g, 45.08 mg, 81.95 mg, and 70.23 mg, respectively. The main basic nutritional composition of Minqin wolfberries included proteins and carbohydrates. Moreover, the wolfberry samples analyzed in this study contained abundant functional amino acids, such as aspartic acid, proline, and glutamic acid. High content of tryptophan, aromatic amino acids, and other essential amino acids were found in Minqin wolfberries. Aspartic acid was the most abundant, and lysine was the first limiting essential amino acid in wolfberries. Minqin wolfberries contained relatively high levels of fats, carotenoids, and ascorbic acid compared with wolfberries from other regions, and the levels of heavy metals and pesticide residues did not exceed the limits for wolfberries as a green food. The findings of this study provide a reference for the quality evaluation of wolfberries grown in Minqin county.
