Evaluation of Some Minerals and Toxicants in Some Nigerian Soup Meals

Some antinutrients (hydrocyanic acid, oxalate, and phytate) and some mineral elements (calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, zinc, and phosphorus) were analyzed in five popular Nigerian soup meals, afang (Gnetum africana), atama (Heinsia crinata), editan (Lasianthera africana), edikang ikong (Telfaria occidentalis), and okro (Hibiscus esculentus). The concentrations of antinutrients in these soup meals were 0.17–0.42, 1.50–10.40, and 484–745 mg/100 g dry wt for hydrocyanate, oxalate, and phytate, respectively. The mineral contents (mg/100 g dry wt) were Ca (1430–3930), Cu (1.6–3), Fe (130–470), Mg (490–910), Zn (12.7–40), and P (490–580). The computed [calcium]/[phytate] [phytate]/[zinc], [calcium] [phytate]/[zinc] and [phytate]/[P] millimolar ratios/kg, Dwt ranged from 45 to 98, 2 to 5, 117 to 650, and 4 to 6, respectively. The results showed that the concentrations of antinutrients were below toxic levels and these levels may not affect bioavailability of the minerals.