Abstract
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is an annual plant species belonging to the family Chenopodiaceae. The closely related species S. tetranda is considered to be its ancestor, and other related species comprise S. spinosa, S. inermis, and S. turkestanica. The genus originated in South-West Asia, while S. oleracea was probably brought in the 14th century by the Arabs to Spain, from where it spread to other countries by the 16th century (George 1985). Spinach is nowadays an important horticultural species, since its leaves have been used worldwide in human nutrition. In developed countries up to 80% of spinach produced is processed as canned or frozen food (Pavlek 1982). The classification of numerous spinach cultivars is based on seed form (round or prickly); leaf texture (smooth or crinkled); leaf colour, shape and pose, and petiole length. There are, further, early and late cultivars, which differ in time of stem elongation out of the leaf rosette (George 1985). All leaf vegetables are important sources of minerals, which in spinach leaves contribute up to 1.8% of dry weight. The specific nutritive value of spinach leaves lies in their relatively high iron content (4–6 mg per 100 g dry wt), and spinach is hence recommended for anaemic persons and children. Spinach leaves are also a rich source of β-carotene (= provitamin A), vitamins of the B group, and ascorbic acid (Schuphan 1961). A disadvantage of spinach is its high nitrate content (up to 3000 mg NO3/kg), since during transport and storage nitrite arises by reduction in quantities which may cause methemoglobinemia. The nitrate content is higher in petioles than in leaf blades and can be influenced by fertilizers and other growth conditions (Breimer 1982). Oxalic acid, which is abundant in leaves, may also cause dietary disorder, due to its ability to bind calcium ions (Pavlek 1982).
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© 1988 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Nešković, M., Ćulafić, L. (1988). Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.). In: Bajaj, Y.P.S. (eds) Crops II. Biotechnology in Agriculture and Forestry, vol 6. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73520-2_18
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73520-2_18
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