Comparison Of Concentration And Pharmacokinetic Properties Of Nitrate And Nitrite Content Of Edible Vegetable Samples From Eleme And Umuahia.

ABSTRACT

The nitrate and nitrite content of edible vegetables collected from oil pollution prone zone (Eleme) was analyzed and compared with those from non-oil polluted zone (Umuaha). Nitrite was determined spectrophotometrically and nitrite after reduction with cadmium column. The plasma kinetics of nitrate and nitrate equivalent determined in the vegetables were also investigated in rats following oral administration by stomach intubation. 'The results show that there is a statistically significant difference between the mean concentrations of nitrate in samples from Eleme (349.20±326.9mg/100g dry matter) and the mean nitrate concentration in samples from Umuahia metropolis (03. 12:1 38.64mg/100g dry matter, p< 0.05). There is however no statistically significant difference between the mean concentrations of nitrite in samples from Eleme (121.9 .106.11mg/100g dry matter) and mean concentration of nitrites in samples from Umuahia (15.84±6.8Omg/1oog dry matter, P>O.05). The rates of absorption and elimination of equivalents of nitrate 'and nitrite are found to concentration-dependent. The mean percentage of absorption of nitrate and nitrite that is their bloavailabilities were found to be xi 90.78% and 90.40% respectively while their half-lives were 34.05 minutes and 53.3 minutes respectively.