Abstract
Diets high in processed foods have been found to lack essential micro-nutrients for optimum human development and overall health. Some micro-nutrients such as copper (Cu) have been found to enhance the inflammatory response through its oxidative functions, thereby having a role in cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and related complications. This research study was designed to determine if food crops could be bio-fortified with micro-nutrients by growing sprouts on mineral fortified fiber mats. In the feasibility study described in this contribution, recycled cellulose fibers and clay, saturated with either micro-nutrient copper ions or copper nanoparticles, were converted to a novel mineral-cellulose fiber carrier of essential micro-nutrient and of antimicrobial properties. Seeds of Medicago sativa (alfalfa), purchased from a commercial, organic supplier were germinated on engineered cellulose fiber mats. After the appearance of the first leaves, the sprouts were dehydrated and analyzed for Cu content. Nutrient analysis showed ~2 increase in Cu of the sprouts grown on the fiber mats with copper particles, and ~4 increase on mats with ionic copper as compared to the control samples. This study illustrates the potential for the use of engineered mats as a viable way to increase the micro-nutrient composition of locally-grown food crops and the need for additional research to determine the uptake, nutritional implications and risks of micro-nutrient bio-fortification.
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Claims 2
Claim · model-written summary
Alfalfa sprouts grown on fiber mats with copper particles had about 2 times higher Cu content than control samples.
- Taxon
- alfalfa
Medicago sativae0 - Treatment
- fiber mats with copper particlese1
- Outcome
- Cu of the sproutse1
- Direction
- increasee1
- Value
- ~2e1
- Comparator
- control samplese1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seeds of Medicago sativa (alfalfa)”
e1“Nutrient analysis showed ~2 increase in Cu of the sprouts grown on the fiber mats with copper particles, and ~4 increase on mats with ionic copper as compared to the control samples”
Claim · model-written summary
Alfalfa sprouts grown on fiber mats with ionic copper had about 4 times higher Cu content than control samples.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- mats with ionic coppere1
- Outcome
- Cu of the sproutse1
- Direction
- increasee1
- Value
- ~4e1
- Comparator
- control samplese1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seeds of Medicago sativa (alfalfa)”
e1“Nutrient analysis showed ~2 increase in Cu of the sprouts grown on the fiber mats with copper particles, and ~4 increase on mats with ionic copper as compared to the control samples”
The same questions in other papers
copper atom · nutrient: content · Medicago sativa (alfalfa)Positive and negative results
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- negative
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See all 8 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.