Abstract:

The contents of 12 mineral elements in Dioscorea alata L. tubers from Wuping county of Fujian province and
Honghe prefecture of Yunnan province were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) after wet digestion. The
results showed that the AAS method was a simple and fast method that provided accurate measurement of mineral elements
in Dioscorea alata L. tubers with recoveries ranging from 92.00% to 106.00% and relative standard deviation below 10%.
The tested samples were found to be rich y in Mg, Fe and Zn as well as Se, which is beneficial to the human body. Except
for Ni, the contents of all heavy metals including Cr, Pb, As, Cd, and Hg are in line with the national food safety standards
for the maximum limits of contaminants in foods.

Key words: Dioscorea alata L., wet digestion, atomic absorption spectrometry, mineral elements