Trace metal contents of undecorticated and decorticated drug legumes

Ten different kinds of mature dry legumes such as lentil, mash, moong, lobia, rawan peas, gram, seme and french beans were analysed for five trace metals-iron, zinc, copper, cobalt and nickel, both in the undecorticated and decorticated form. The pulses ere found to be quite rich in these trace elements, more prominent amongst them were moong, lentil and gram. Hulls were found to contain substantial amounts of trace metals which were lost as a result of decortication. The pulses could partly fulfil the daily requirements of these trace minerals. There were distinct varietal differences in the same class of legume. The data under report is in general agreement with other Pakistan, Indian, American results cited in the literature, although, some differences in certain cases do occur

Tace metal contents of some various of cereals

New high-yield varieties of wheat barley, rice, maize, bajra [pearl millet] and jawar [sorghum] have been analysed for their trace metal contents. The predominant trace metals were iron, zinc and copper. Cobalt and nickel were present in most of the varieties in less than one ppm. Considerable varietal differences have been found in the trace metal contents. Some varieties of each cereal were consistently rich while some were poor in the trace metals suggesting a genetic control for trace metal labelling in the variety. Wheat, barley and bajra were found to be meeting adequately the daily requirements of these trace metals eaten as staple food but rice, maize and jawar would need supplementation of the diet. Data in general was in agreement with the results cited in the literature