Optimizing Seed Sample Size for Zinc and Iron Analysis of Wild and Cultivated Lentil

Zinc and iron deficiencies affect billions of people globally and have direct impact on human health. Zinc and iron concentrations in plant materials are commonly analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry (F-AAS). This research describes the optimal analysis method for precise zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) analysis of seeds from the seven species of genus Lens. Estimation of Zn and Fe concentration in whole lentil seeds by F-AAS is destructive, using nitric acid digestion of seeds prior to instrument analysis. The procedure proposed for the determination of Zn and Fe concentration uses the minimum amount of lentil seed of all lentil species with suitable standard reference materials. The relative standard deviations of the method were about 5% for both Zn and Fe. The minimum sample amount 0.3 g of wild and 0.5 g of cultivated lentil seed samples was identified for accurate and precise estimation of Zn and Fe concentration.