Studies on the Levels of Fluoride in Selected Spices Cultivated and Consumed in Ethiopia
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Date
2015-06-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Fluorosis is a public health problem in certain part of Ethiopia, especially in rift valley areas. Fluoride is widely present throughout the food supply. The general population can be exposed to fluoride through drinking water and food consumption. Foods are the major contributor of fluoride exposure to human being, next to water. Spices are the main food supliments in Ethiopian traditional cucines for the purpose of flavoring, coloring, aroma and sometimes as a preservative agent. Therefore, spices may have their contribution in human daily intake of fluoride. The aim of this study was to determine the levels of fluoride in spices. Spice samples were collected from the market for fluoride analysis and the analysis was done by using FISE. Validation of the procedure was evaluated using spiking method and the percentage recovery confirm the validity of the procedure. One-way ANOVA and t-test were used to check the presence of significance difference at 95% confidence level between mean fluoride levels in different sorts of spice samples. The levels of fluoride in spices found (on dry weight basis) in this study were (in mg/kg dry weight): 2.14±0.04 (coriander seed), 2.53±0.05 (basil leaves), 2.81±0.13 (ginger), 3.1±0.17 (red pepper), 3.18±0.03 (fenugreek seed), 3.27±0.13 (garlic), 3.29±0.07 (turmeric), 4.51±0.12 (nutmeg seed), 5.13±0.23 (cinnamon), 8.14±0.15 (black cumin seed), and 8.57±0.11 (thyme leaves). Analysis of variance showed that there was statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) at 95% confidence level in the mean levels of fluoride among the spice samples. It was also found that the daily intake of fluoride from red chili pepper, cinnamon bark, turmeric rhizome, ginger rhizome, and garlic granules for an adult (60 kg body weight) who consume the estimated amounts of these spices per day was 0.082 mg/kg or 2.74% out of the recommended fluoride level (3 mg F-). This shows that spices play a significant role in daily intake of fluoride for adults.
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Keywords
Spices, Food, Fluoride, Ethiopia