Evaluation of the selenium and chromium content of plant foods

In the present study the selenium and chromium content of different plant foods such as fruits, greens, flowers, vegetables, dried fruits, spices, condiments, cereals and pulses were analysed. The selenium values for cereals indehiscent vegetables, root vegetables, stem vegetables, pulses, fleshy vegetables, greens, fleshy fruits, condiment seeds, spices and dried fruits ranged between 24.2-32.16, 2.4-18.9, 2.8-21.5, 3.0-32, 48.7-92.5, 1.25-9.5, 3.0-8.2, 2.0-9.4, 6.2-66.2, 6.2-17.5 and 3.5-16.8 micrograms/100 g respectively. The chromium values for the same ranged between 48.2-52.6, 31.0-45, 21.2-25.7, 23.7-62.8, 15.0-43.5, 20.4-65, 14.2-42.1, 14.25-46.7, 58.4-150 and 96-168 micrograms/100 g respectively. Thus dried fruits have the highest chromium content and pulses the highest selenium content.