Total folate: diversity within fruit varieties commonly consumed in India

Area of Science:

• Nutritional Science
• Food Science

Background:

• Folate is essential for human health, playing a critical role in DNA synthesis and cell division.
• Accurate folate content data in diverse food sources is crucial for dietary assessments and public health recommendations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify total folate concentrations in a variety of fruits available in Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India.
• To compare folate levels across tropical, temperate, and subtropical fruit categories.

Main Methods:

• Fruits were procured from local retail outlets.
• Total folate content was determined using a trienzyme extraction method.
• A microbiological assay employing Lactobacillus casei (subsp. Rhamnosus) was utilized for quantification.

Main Results:

• Folate content varied significantly across fruits, ranging from 10 to 328 microg/100 g on a fresh weight basis.
• Plum exhibited the highest folate concentration at 328 microg/100 g.
• Tropical, temperate, and subtropical fruits showed distinct folate ranges (10-211, 11-328, and 9-237 microg/100 g, respectively).

Conclusions:

• The study provides essential data on fruit folate content, valuable for dietary intake estimations.
• Findings can inform the formulation of diets for folate bioavailability studies.
• Results support the revision of dietary guidelines and public health strategies for folate sufficiency.