Determination and Evaluation of the Mineral Composition of Chinese Cabbage (Beta vulgaris)

Inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry was used to determine the elements present in Chinese cabbage (Beta vulgaris). The accuracy of the method was confirmed by analysis of a certified reference material of spinach leaves. The study involved 57 samples that were collected in 13 Brazilian cities. Average concentrations of elements found per gram of Chinese cabbage were as follows: 3.44 mg g(-1) sodium, 5.09 mg g(-1) potassium, 1.25 mg g(-1) phosphorous, 0.85 mg g(-1) calcium, 0.49 mg g(-1) magnesium, 2.79 mu g g(-1) manganese, 9.50 mu g g(-1) iron, 0.74 mu g g(-1) copper, 14.28 mu g g(-1) zinc, and 6.44 mu g g(-1) strontium. Principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis demonstrated that there is no systematic difference in the mineral composition between the cabbage samples that were analyzed.