ICP-MS determination of iron, zinc and others minerals bioaccessibility and their potential contribution in <i>Moringa oleifera Lam</i> leaf powder from Senegal

Moringa oleifera is an edible tree whose leaf powder is increasingly used as the main source of iron and other minerals such as zinc, magnesium, phosphorus and calcium. The objective of this present work was to determine the bioaccessibility of these minerals and their potentials contribution in Moringa oleifera Lam leaf powder (Mlp) from Senegal by Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometry (ICP- AES). Minerals experiments were done in duplicate and analyzed twice. Bioaccessibility experiments were done in duplicate with three times for intestinal stage (each stage was performed two times). Mlp sample had the following mineral contents: iron (42.8 ± 2.97 mg/100g), zinc (1.88 ± 0.024 mg/100g), magnesium (506.28 ± 3.45 mg/100g), phosphorus (317.3 ± 2.04 mg/100g) and calcium (2273.39 ± 17.72 mg/100g). Mineral bioaccessibility (percentage) were respectively 9.04 ± 0.038, 66.32 ± 2.065, 87.64 ± 0.346, 69.44 ± 0.200 and 55.44 ± 0.316% for Fe, Zn, Mg, P and Ca. The total amount of bioaccessible minerals were respectively 3.87 ± 0.016, 1.25 ± 0.039, 443.71 ± 1.752, 220.34 ± 0.635, 1260.46 ± 7.176 mg/100g for Fe, Zn, Mg, P and Ca. These results show that Mlp is an excellent source of minerals except iron whose bioaccessibility is very low; they can well be used by target cells. A daily consumption of moringa leaf powder divided into number of intakes during the day can provide the required amount of mineral.