Assessment of environmental safety and technological characteristics of chicory based on the results of microbiological and dermatographia studies

Abstract

The presence of a large amount of heavy metals in plants and soils used for growing agricultural crops constantly affects the environmental safety of the respective environment. An increase in the concentration of trace elements and compounds of heavy metals in plant tissues leads to disturbances in the metabolism of plant and animal organisms. Thus, long-term exposure to high concentrations of heavy metals and their compounds in soil and plants can cause pathological changes or disruption of biological processes. The analysis of the interaction of micro- and macronutrients with the carbohydrate components of chicory plant raw materials aims at the possible leveling of the negative impact of the formed complexes on the general ecological state of the environment. The non-destructive method of X-ray fluorescence analysis of biologically active compounds was used to conduct the research, which is the most accurate and effective from the point of view of the time of conducting the experiment. Derivatographic methods of research, or combined methods of thermal analysis, allow simultaneously to obtain data on the change in the mass of a substance and the speed of this change in an automatic mode, as well as to obtain the physical and chemical characteristics of such processes. The choice of traditional methods of analysis, in particular thin-layer chromatography, spectrophotometry, measurement of the polarization angle, electrophoresis, is determined by the relative simplicity and accuracy of the obtained data. The results of research conducted on the content of microelements and their interaction with carbohydrates of vegetable inulin-containing raw materials showed that the content of 20 macro- and microelements in chicory roots was determined by X-ray fluorescence analysis. The study confirmed the regularity of changes in the content of trace elements depending on heat treatment, in particular in harsh conditions. Based on the results of the research, it was established that the heat treatment of chicory roots, in particular their frying, significantly improves the mineral composition of this plant material. The developed method of non-destructive analysis of the content of mineral components in vegetable raw materials, which uses carbohydrates as a matrix for measurements, allows obtaining reliable results. It has been proven that the type of carbohydrate has almost no effect on the results of the analysis. Based on the obtained data, a series of standard samples was developed to determine the content of elements such as Cd, Zn, Pb and Hg, and the corresponding calibration curves were constructed. The derivatography study confirmed the formation of calcium and magnesium complexes with inulin, as well as the stabilization of saccharides when complexed with the mentioned elements and determines the further strategy for reducing the negative impact of these compounds on living organisms.