Determination of Phenylalanine Amounts in Spice Samples from Different Regions of Turkey

Abstract

Aim: Knowledge of the amount of phenylalanine found in foods is especially important for patients with phenylketonuria who should take limited amount of phenylalanine in the diet. Many nutrients in the diet Phenylketonuria (PKU) of need to be consumed in moderation, a variety of spices is often used to enhance the flavor of foods. Even though the amount of spices added to dishes are very low, differences in the amount of phenylalanine content of spices leads to unwanted fluctuations in blood levels of patients with PKU. In this study, it was aimed to determine the total amount of phenylalanine in spice samples taken from different regions of our country. Materials and Methods: 12 pcs spice samples; rosemary, basil, black pepper, cloves, oregano, cumin, mint, paprika, sumac, cinnamon, ginger and turmeric were collected from 7 different cities (Adana, Ankara, Bursa, Gaziantep, Konya, Sakarya and Trabzon) of fifth different provinces in Turkey. Phenylalanine analysis was performed at Blacksea Technical University Faculty of Pharmacy Lab. by RP-HPLC (mg/100 g). Results: The amounts of phenylalanine in spices was detected in the range of 42.42-3174.35 mg/100 g. Phenylalanine contents in Trabzon species, rosemary, basil, black pepper, cumin, mint, paprika, sumac and ginger compared to other provinces samples found to be major in the range of 101.43-3174.35 mg/100 g, respectively. Phenylalanine in black pepper, sumac and cinnamon is not observed because of below the limit of RP-HPLC. The amount of the phenylalanine in paprika and ginger which were collected form all cities, found to be similar in the range of 48.57-108.78 mg/100 g. Conclusion: It is thought that differences in phenylalanine content of spices may be related to the spread of the species in nature, species that grow in Trabzon may involve with species growing in Iran and Georgia. Since there are significant regional differences in phenylalanine content of some spices, it is concluded that the conscious use by patients may help in the control of blood phenylalanine levels.