Minerals and fatty acids of amaranth seeds subjected to pre-sowing electromagnetical stimulation
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Department of Physics, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Akademicka 13, 20-033 Lublin, Poland
Int. Agrophys. 2010, 24(4): 375-379
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ABSTRACT
It was hypothesized that the pre-sowing electromagnetic stimulating methods with laser light or/and magnetic field applied to amaranth seeds may influence minerals uptake from the soil as well as the fatty acids composition. Electromagnetical simulation of the seeds resulted in a significant decrease of the levels of potassium, calcium magnesium, sodium, copper and manganese (P0.01). The stimulated seeds contained comparable amount of phosphorus. Interestingly, stimulation with both electromagnetical methods resulted in significant increase in the level of zinc and over two-fold increase in iron content in the seeds as compared to control. The ratio of K to Na increases upon electromagnetical stimulation in spite of a decrease in the level of these elements. In all the seeds mono- and polyunsaturated acids dominated in all tested fats. The electromagnetical stimulation of amaranth seeds resulted in the increase of essential fatty acids and the decrease in most of the saturated fatty acids which is highly demandable from the point of healthy nutrition.