title: [Characterization of low molecular weight zinc species in normal commercial vegetable foodstuffs].
abstract: In six different ordinary vegetables, namely kohlrabi, Chinese cabbage, chard, leak, spinach and Jerusalem artichoke, zinc was mainly found as low molecular weight species. In the present study, these important zinc compounds are further investigated. The determinations of the metal are performed by ET-AAS. The zinc complexes of all vegetables are anionic at pH 8.0 and show similar elution behaviour in gel permeation and anion exchange chromatography. Consequently, a great resemblance in structure between the low molecular weight zinc species from the different vegetables can be supposed. Exemplary, the zinc complexes of kohlrabi and Chinese cabbage are further examined. In more purified samples of these vegetables compared to zinc neither stoichiometric amounts of free protein amino acids nor nicotianamine, free malic acid, citric acid or phytic acid have been detected. Mainly glutamic acid is found in molar excess to zinc after acid hydrolysis in both cases. The cysteine contents of both zinc-binding fractions are very low. Conclusively, the well-known gamma-glutamylcysteinyl-glycines (phytochelatines) can not be responsible for the bonding of zinc in both ordinary vegetables. We suppose that zinc in kohlrabi and Chinese cabbage is bound to a glutamic acid derivative unknown as yet, possibly a malic acid ester.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Lebensmittelwissenchaft und Lebensmittelchemie der Rheinischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Waldner
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Günther
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001937:Brassica / Q000737:chemistry; D002852:Chromatography, Ion Exchange; D005511:Food Handling; D005978:Glutathione; D008667:Metalloproteins / Q000032:analysis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D008970:Molecular Weight; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000032:analysis*; D054811:Phytochelatins; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry*; D015032:Zinc / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D008667:Metalloproteins; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D010940:Plant Proteins; D054811:Phytochelatins; D005978:Glutathione; D015032:Zinc
vernacular_title: Charakterisierung niedermolekularer Zinkspezies in handelsüblichen pflanzlichen Lebensmitteln.