Enrichment of some summer season vegetables with selected minerals that may potentially act as hypoglycemic agents.

Three summer season vegetables Bitter gourd (Momordica-charantia), Bath sponge (Luffa-acutangula) and Bringal/Egg-plant (Solanum-melongena) were included in the present study to determine some of their mineral components and see if some of their mineral (Cr, Zn, Mn, Cu, Mg and Fe) content could be increased by supplementation through their roots. Thus calculated amount of Cr, Zn, Mn, Cu, Mg and Fe salts (as fertilizer) were applied in solution form to the roots of vegetables in different concentration as individual or in combinations. These vegetables were grown from seeds in the soil plot, having three columns marked as boxes (Box-A, Box-B and Box-C), each box further divided in to four sub-boxes (A-1, A-2, A-3, A-4) (B-5, B-6, B-7, B-8) and (C-9, C-10, C-11, C-12), respectively. Thus one row had twelve sub-boxes. Box C-12 was not supplemented for comparison. Before sowing seeds, soil samples were taken and analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), texture, organic matter, lime content (CaCO3), Potassium (K), Phosphorus (P) and concentrations of extractable metals (Cr, Zn, Mn, Cu, Mg and Fe). Irrigation water was also analyzed for pH, conductivity (EC), Chloride, Sulphate and Cr, Zn, Mn, Cu, Mg and Fe concentrations. After harvesting vegetables were dried, acid digested and analyzed for Cr, Mn, Zn, Cu, Fe and Mg on Hitachi Zeeman Japan Z-8000, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. In these vegetables total increase in minerals concentration milligram per kilogram dry weight basis observed was: (i) for chromium; Momordica-charantia 90, Luffa acutangula, 14 and Solanum-melongena 4. for zinc; Solanum-melongena 108, Luffa acutangula 104 and Momordica-charantia 52 (ii) for manganese; Momordica-charantia 32, Luffa acutangula and Solanum-melongena 10 (iii) for copper; Momordica-charantia 40, Luffa acutangula 20 and Solanum-melongena 12 (iv) for magnesium; Luffa acutangula 962, Momordica-charantia 176 and Solanum-melongena 134 (v) for iron; Momordica-charantia 508 and Solanum-melongena 56. From the present study it can be concluded that by changing the soil minerals environment the uptake of required mineral content of vegetables, perhaps could be enhanced. This in turn could play important role in diabetes control and also in the elimination of other deficiency diseases like anemia etc.