Volume 41, August 2015, Pages 15–20
Original Research Article
Phylloquinone content of herbs, spices and seasonings
Highlights
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- Phylloquinone content of many culinary herbs, spices and seasonings was analyzed.
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- Dried herbs are the richest in phylloquinone, followed by their fresh counterparts.
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- Small amounts of herbs can increase vitamin K intake of individuals significantly.
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- Patients on vitamin K antagonists should be cautious with their herb consumption.
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- Infusion of vegetable oils with herbs raises their phylloquinone content slightly.
Abstract
Culinary
herbs and spices contain a variety of bioactive compounds including
phylloquinone, the most common dietary form of vitamin K. In this study,
we analyzed the phylloquinone content of a large number of commonly
available culinary herbs, spices, and seasonings. Samples of fresh herbs
(n = 19), dried herbs (n = 28), spices and seeds (n = 26), seasoning blends (n = 9), and other flavor enhancers (n = 11)
were purchased in Montreal (Quebec, Canada) and Washington (DC, USA).
All samples were analyzed in quadruplicate using standardized HPLC
procedures. Most fresh herbs contained between 450 and 1200 μg of
phylloquinone/100 g. Dried herbs were even richer with some (cilantro,
marjoram, parsley) showing concentrations of ≈3000 μg/100 g.
Phylloquinone content of spices and seeds was relatively low
(5–250 μg/100 g), while being highly variable among seasoning blends
(2.3–1878 μg/100 g). According to our results, portions of only 3 g of
herbs can increase daily intakes of phylloquinone by up to 100 μg,
contributing significantly to the daily vitamin K intake. Herbs can thus
be important food sources of phylloquinone and should be accounted for
when assessing vitamin K intakes in research or in patients treated with
vitamin K antagonists. Future research should focus on the
bioavailability of phylloquinone in these products.
Keywords
- Food composition;
- Food analysis;
- Culinary herbs;
- Phylloquinone;
- Seasonings;
- Spices;
- Vitamin K;
- Nutrient databases
- Corresponding
author at: Centre de recherche, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, 5400
Boul. Gouin Ouest, Montréal, QC H4J 1C5, Canada. Tel.:
+1 514 338 2222x2502; fax: +1 514 338 2694.
- 1
- Current address: Dairy Farmers of Canada, Montréal, Canada.
- 2
- Current address: Hôpital Charles-Lemoyne, Greenfield Park, Canada.
Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
