. 2013 May 16;2013:857120. doi: 10.1155/2013/857120

Table 2.

Proximate composition, vitamins, minerals, and fatty acid profile of raw and processed stinging nettle (Urtica dioica L.) shoots harvested from field plots in the fall of 2011 and spring of 2012.

	Fall 2011				Spring 2012
	Raw	Blanched	Cooked	Cooked + salt	Raw	Blanched	Cooked	Cooked + salt
Proximate analysis
Moisture (%)	89.0 ± 1.4^a	87.2 ± 0.9^a	87.7 ± 0.7^a	88.6 ± 0.5^a	75.1 ± 1.5^c	84.6 ± 2.5^b	85.6 ± 0.8^b	91.7 ± 0.9^a
Protein (%)	3.7 ± 0.5^a	3.6 ± 0.4^ab	3.6 ± 0.3^a	2.7 ± 0.2^b	6.3 ± 0.3^a	4.1 ± 0.2^b	3.8 ± 0.3^b	2.2 ± 0.2^c
Fat (%)	0.6 ± 0.1^a	0.4 ± 0.1^b	0.4 ± 0.0^b	0.2 ± 0.0^b	1.4 ± 0.3^a	1.1 ± 0.1^a	1.1 ± 0.2^a	0.6 ± 0.1^b
Ash (%)	2.1 ± 0.3^a	1.8 ± 0.3^ab	1.5 ± 0.3^b	1.5 ± 0.1^b	3.4 ± 0.2^a	1.4 ± 0.1^b	1.2 ± 0.1^c	1.0 ± 0.1^c
Fiber, total dietary (%)	6.4 ± 0.4^a	4.2 ± 0.1^b	3.5 ± 0.3^c	3.6 ± 0.3^bc	9.7 ± 1.0^a	5.4 ± 0.9^b	4.9 ± 1.0^b	4.2 ± 0.2^c
Carbohydrates, total (%)	7.1 ± 1.7^a	6.6 ± 1.4^ab	6.3 ± 0.8^b	6.2 ± 1.2^b	16.5 ± 1.6^a	8.9 ± 0.7^b	8.1 ± 1.1^b	4.2 ± 0.6^c
Other carbohydrates (%)	2.7 ± 0.2^ab	2.9 ± 0.3^a	2.5 ± 0.1^b	2.7 ± 0.1^a	6.2 ± 1.0^a	3.5 ± 0.7^b	3.3 ± 0.5^b	2.0 ± 0.1^c
Calories, total (kcal/100 g)	45.7 ± 3.1^a	42.6 ± 2.1^a	44.7 ± 2.5^a	36.5 ± 2.3^b	99.7 ± 2.5^a	62.0 ± 1.0^b	57.3 ± 1.5^c	32.0 ± 1.0^d
Calories from fat (kcal/100 g)	5.0 ± 1.0^a	4.3 ± 0.6^ab	2.7 ± 0.5^bc	2.3 ± 0.6^c	12.3 ± 1.6^a	10.0 ± 1.0^ab	8.7 ± 3.1^b	4.0 ± 1.0^c
Vitamins and minerals
Vitamin A, total (IU/100 g)	4935 ± 104^a	4851 ± 56^a	4548 ± 53^b	4362 ± 78^b	11403 ± 1333^a	6470 ± 222^bc	6021 ± 90^c	7872 ± 354^b
Vitamin A, as β-carotene (IU/100 g)	5035 ± 213^a	4689 ± 37^b	4549 ± 130^b	4062 ± 39^c	7860 ± 460^a	4811 ± 88^b	5028 ± 65^b	4154 ± 148^c
Vitamin C (mg/100 g)	1.1 ± 0.1^a	0.6 ± 0.1^b	0.6 ± 0.1^b	0.5 ± 0.1^b	0.5 ± 0.0^a	0.5 ± 0.0^a	0.5 ± 0.0^a	0.5 ± 0.0^a
Calcium (mg/100 g)	278 ± 9^c	441 ± 12^a	376 ± 9^ab	318 ± 52^bc	788 ± 41^a	464 ± 10^b	430 ± 10^b	316 ± 7^c
Iron (mg/100 g)	1.2 ± 0.1^c	1.8 ± 0.2^b	2.6 ± 0.1^a	2.5 ± 0.3^a	3.4 ± 0.3^a	2.1 ± 0.2^b	2.1 ± 0.3^b	1.6 ± 0.1^c
Sodium (mg/100 g)	5.7 ± 0.1^b	6.3 ± 0.4^b	6.5 ± 0.3^b	87.7 ± 6.0^a	5.5 ± 0.6^b	7.0 ± 0.2^b	6.7 ± 0.2^b	81.1 ± 2.9^a
Fatty acid profile
Saturated fat (%)	35.5 ± 2.6^a	25.7 ± 2.5^b	23.6 ± 4.1^c	21.7 ± 1.9^d	32.7 ± 2.8^a	16.5 ± 1.5^bc	17.3 ± 1.2^b	15.7 ± 1.4^c
Monounsaturated (%)	2.7 ± 0.2^c	3.3 ± 0.2^a	4.8 ± 0.3^a	3.2 ± 0.1^b	7.5 ± 0.6^a	5.3 ± 0.3^b	5.8 ± 1.1^b	4.6 ± 0.2^c
Polyunsaturated (%)	61.8 ± 3.5^c	71.0 ± 2.0^b	71.6 ± 1.2^c	75.1 ± 1.9^a	59.8 ± 2.7^d	78.2 ± 4.4^b	76.9 ± 2.5^c	79.7 ± 2.6^a
Cholesterol (mg/100 g)	1.0 ± 0.0^a	1.0 ± 0.0^a	1.0 ± 0.0^a	1.0 ± 0.0^a	1.0 ± 0.0^a	1.0 ± 0.0^a	1.0 ± 0.0^a	1.0 ± 0.0^a

^aMean (n = 3) ± standard deviation. Values within a year followed by different letters are significantly different at P < 0.05 (Tukey's HSD).