Source: SEAMEO BIOTROP's Research Grant | 2016
Abstract:
The nutritional value of a particular food is determined primarily by its nutrient composition. This study was designed to evaluatethe nutrient composition of a crop grown in aquaponics as compared to
the same grown in soil(non-aquaponics culture). Kangkong (Ipomea
aquatica) was chosen because it is regionally important
and commonly grown in aquaponics. Fresh leaves of kangkong were planted, grown, harvested, stored and shipped
at the same time on three
separate farms according to the protocol of the nutrient analysis laboratory. Each sample was divided into three
replicates, and analyses were conducted to determine
the proximate chemical content, water soluble
vitamins, fat soluble vitamins, carotenoids and xanthophylls, cholines and betaines,
sterols, oligosaccharides, polyphenols, antioxidant activity, minerals, organic
acids, bioactive substances as well as the amino acid and fatty acid profiles.
All experiments were repeated three times except for elecrophoretic analyses,
which were duplicated. The significance of differences between means was
determined by comparing confidence intervals for each treatment at an alpha of
0.05. The results of analyses revealed significant differences between the
aquaponic and non-aquaponic samples for several of the minerals, namely:
calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, manganese, chromium and
phosphorous. The results of all analyses were compared with literature
reference values.