Linolenic acid and folate in wild-growing African dark leafy vegetables (morogo).
BACKGROUND
Transition from a low-fat vegetable-rich rural diet to a high-fat Westernised diet is considered a factor in the escalating occurrence of vascular-related diseases and type 2 diabetes in urban black South Africans. Consumption of morogo is a distinguishing feature of rural African diets.


OBJECTIVE
To determine fatty acid profiles and folate contents of three widely consumed, wild-growing, African dark green leafy vegetables (morogo).


METHODS
GC-MS was applied for analysis of fatty acid composition and a validated microbiological assay conducted to determine folic acid contents of wild-growing morogo sampled from deep rural villages in three different geographical regions of South Africa.


RESULTS
Measured fatty acids ranged from 1610.2 to 2941.6 mg/100 g dry mass, with PUFA concentrations 1.4 to 2.8 times those of SFA. Calculated from the relative percentages of linoleic acid (18:2n-6) and linolenic acid (18:3n-3), the ratio of 18:2n-6 to 18:3n-3 PUFA was 1.0:3.4 to 1.0:8.9. The only MUFA was palmitoleic acid (16:1), measured at 34.7 (sd 0.3) to 79.0 (sd 9.3) mg/100 g dry mass, and the predominant SFA was palmitic acid (16:0), measured at 420.6 (sd 83.3) to 662.0 (sd 21.2) mg/100 g dry mass. Folic acid concentration varied from 72 to 217 microg/100 g fresh sample.


CONCLUSIONS
Morogo is low-fat food item high in folate and with 18:3n-3 in excess of 18:2n-6, the proposed anti-inflammatory effects of which may lower risks of vascular-related chronic diseases and type 2 diabetes.
van der Walt
Anna M
AM
1School of Environmental Sciences and Development, North-West University, Private Bag, Potchefstroom, South Africa. Retha.VanDerWalt@nwu.ac.za
Ibrahim
Mohamed I M
MI
Bezuidenhout
Cornelius C
CC
Loots
Du Toit
du T
D027721:Amaranthus / Q000737:chemistry*; D031485:Cleome / Q000737:chemistry*; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000032:analysis*; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D013019:South Africa; D014675:Vegetables / Q000737:chemistry*; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000032:analysis*
D005227:Fatty Acids; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D005492:Folic Acid