Bioaccessibility assessment of toxic and essential elements in produced pulses, Bahia, Brazil.

The objective of this study was to analyze the effect of heat treatment on the bioaccessibility of major (K, Ca, Mg, P) and trace elements (As, Ba, Cu, Fe, Mn, Cd, Cr, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, Sb, Sn, and Zn) in three different pulse species: Vigna unguiculata L. Walp (cowpea beans), Cajanus cajan L. (pigeon pea) and Lablab purpureus L. Sweet (mangalo). Analyte concentrations were determined in the samples by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. The results showed that thermal processing can affect the concentrations of the elements investigated in pulse samples. The influence of the heat treatment can range between legume species and chemical elements, as well as with the type of heat treatment, dry, wet, conductive heating and using microwaves.