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Randomly collected samples of parsley and celery from different localities were analysed to determine their quality based on arsenic concentrations, phenolic constituents and the antioxidant capacity of their edible parts. Arsenic concentrations were found in the range: parsley root (0.16 mg/g d.m.) < celery root (0.19 mg/g d.m.) < parsley leaf (0.35 mg/g d.m.) < celery leaf (0.45 mg/g d.m.). Total phenolic contents in roots were similar in both species and varied significantly depending on the cultivation site: 5.03-9.18 mg eqGA/g DE in parsley and 5.04-8.50 mg eqGA/g DE in celery. Lower total flavonoids content was recorded in celery. Among the phenolic acids, ferulic, chlorogenic and several cinnamic acids dominated. Apigenin and its glucosides dominated among flavonoids. Based on the principal component analysis (PCA) it can be concluded that the As content varied depending on the geographical origin of the samples. Also, phenolic compounds showed a significant contribution on PCA clustering, indicating that the cultivation site has a clear significant impact on the metabolites profile, while As content in plants did not significantly affect phenolic compound profile.

are valuable source of vitamins, minerals and fibers important for healthy human nutrition. However, an increased level of heavy metals in vegetables has been noticed in recent years. This study was conducted with an aim to analyze content of heavy metals, cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and chromium (Cr) in 11 vegetable species which are the most common in human diet. Vegetables were collected from three green markets (Limanska, Futoška and Riblja pijaca) in Novi Sad, during September and October, from 2009 to 2011. Heavy metal contents were analyzed in edible parts of tomato, potato, spinach, onion, beetroot, parsley, parsnip, carrot, cauliflower, pepper and broccoli using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (Varian, AAS 240FS). The results showed statistically significant differences in element concentrations among analyzed vegetables. In general, the highest metal pollution was observed in the year of 2011. Spinach was found to contain the highest metals content - 0.89 μg/g for Cd, 5.81 μg/g for Pb, and 3.67 μg/g for Cr. According to Serbian official regulations, 18.18% of all analyzed species exceeded maximum permissible level for Cd, 9.09% for Pb, while for Cr these limits are not defined. Elevated content of heavy metals in vegetables might be related to soil contamination, atmospheric depositions during transportation and marketing. Thus, a continuous monitoring of vegetables on markets should be performed in order to prevent potential health risks to consumers.

The heavy metal (cadmium, lead, nickel, chromium) and mineral element (potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium) levels in edible parts of tomato, potato, spinach, beetroot, parsley, parsnip, carrot, cauliflower, pepper and broccoli were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Six samples for each species originating from different localities were collected from green markets. The heavy metal concentrations ranged from calcium > phosphorus > magnesium. The highest mean levels of the heavy metals, as well as of potassium, calcium and magnesium, were found in spinach. A large number of samples containing high levels of toxic heavy metals, especially of cadmium and lead, impose the necessity for strict regulative guidelines concerning individual vegetable crops production, harvest, handling and storing, in order to diminish possibility of contamination.