ISSN:
1750-3841
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
,
Process Engineering, Biotechnology, Nutrition Technology
Notes:
Fiddlehead greens of the ostrich fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris, var. Penn., from two separate locations were analyzed for their nutrlent composition. Greens contained (in %) 87 water, 1.12 fiber, 4.23 crude protein, 4.02 ash, 3.06 carbohydrate and 0.5 fat. The fatty acid composition consisted mostly of palmitate, linoleate and linolenate. Unsaturated fatty acids account for approximately 65% of the fatty acids associated with fiddlehead lipids. Niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin C, and vitamin A were present at concentration ranges (based on wet weight) of 4.07–5.57, 0.15–0.24, 0.018–0.024, 19.00–32.69 mg/lOOg greens and 2175-2709 I.U./lOOg, respectively. Spectrochemical analysis identified 17 minerals with potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium being the most prominent. The low sodium content (0.5 mg/lOOg greens) should be noted. The high potassium to sodium ratio could make fiddlehead greens an integral part of the diet of persons requiring low intakes of sodium.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1982.tb10147.x
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