Evaluation of the Effect of Thermal Processing in Total and Bioaccessible Content of Trace Elements in a Regional Crab from the Brazilian Northeast

This study evaluated the total and bioaccessible content of essential and potentially toxic elements in crabs of the <i>Ucides cordatus</i> species subjected to cooking. In natura and processed samples from different locations in Ceará were analyzed. For this, acid digestion in a microwave oven using 7.0 mL of 65 w w^-1 HNO₃ was used for quantification of total elements. A CRM NIST 1568b (Oyster Tissue) was used for trueness evaluation and obtained recoveries between 94 and 103%. An in vitro gastrointestinal digestion method adapted from INFOGEST 2.0 was used to obtain the bioaccessible content of the minerals Al, As, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Se, and Zn, respectively, by ICP OES. The results revealed relevant concentrations of essential minerals in the total contents of Ca (7615 ± 612-17653 ± 716 mg kg ^-1), Cr (1.77 ± 0.17-6.57 ± 0.27 mg kg ^-1), Cu (13.2 ± 1.4-87.7 ± 0.5 mg kg ^-1), Fe (26.18 ± 0.86-53.5 ± 4, 6 mg kg ^-1), K (5893 ± 260-19932 ± 160 mg kg ^-1), Mg (1378 ± 21-2359 ± 112.1 mg kg ^-1), P (3836 ± 18 -4749 ± 249 mg kg ^-1), Se (0.96 ± 0.04-9.17 ± 0.73 mg kg ^-1), and Zn (119 ± 8-259 ± 1 mg kg ^-1), but caution must be done once Cr could be toxic in Cr-(VI) form. Arsenic was detected at levels above the limit allowed by Brazilian legislation, indicating a potential toxicological risk, especially due to the high bioaccessibility (92%) of this element. High bioaccessibility was also observed for Ca (75%), K (100%), Mg (86%), P (96%), and Zn (17%). It can be concluded that <i>Ucides cordatus</i> is a significant source of essential minerals, even after heat treatment. However, this food requires constant monitoring for safety due to the presence and high bioaccessibility of potentially toxic elements. These results bring new and innovative information about a traditional food in the Brazilian Northeast, as well as showing how food processing could change the content of trace elements.