ORGANIC VS. CONVENTIONAL VEGETABLES: INFLUENCE OF CARROTS AND LETTUCE CONSUMPTION ON SERUM AND BONE MINERAL CONTENTS IN RATS

The objective of this study was to assess the minerals content of organic and conventional carrot and lettuce produced in Saudi markets and their effect on some bone minerals and some serum heavy metals content in adult rats. The investigation was performed on 30 adult Wistar rats, fed on organic and conventional vegetables for 2 months. Mineral concentrations were measured using ICP-OES to determine Ca, P, Mg, Zn, Pb, and Cd contents in vegetables, Ca, P, Mg, and Zn contents in the bone and Pb and Cd concentrations contents in serum. Results show statistically insignificant difference in the mineral content between two cultivation systems except for calcium of lettuce. The effect of organic and conventional vegetable intake on bone minerals content shows significant difference in magnesium and phosphorous content between organic and conventional vegetables and as far as heavy metals content in the serum of adult rats is concerned, the data showed insignificant differences between organic and conventional vegetables. Our data didn’t suggested much distinctionsbetween the effect of the intake of conventional and organic vegetables on bone minerals and heavy metals in the serum. Future studies should concentrate on long-term consumption of these vegetables.