Magister Scientiae (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology) / This study aimed to determine the nutrient content (Co, Cr, F, I, Se and V) of various vegetable based food items collected from the Cape Town area in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. This was done to determine which vegetable crops provided the highest concentrations of essential trace elements, and how much they contribute to the daily recommended intake (DRIs) of these trace elements. It also aimed to assess the effects of the addition of the trace elements (Co, Cr, F, I, Se, Si, Sn and V) on seed germination and root growth under controlled conditions in order to calculate their phytotoxicity, and then to biofortify four vegetable crop species, grown in sand culture, with a composite treatment of the trace elements to determine how the addition of these elements will affect the vegetable crops grown under these experimental conditions. From this study, it was shown that trace element content in vegetable crops in the Western Cape Province of South Africa varied between different geographic locations and that certain trace elements were absent from several items collected from some areas. Although some crop species contained sufficient amounts of certain trace elements to satisfy our daily recommended intakes, most of the crops were found to contain insufficient amounts of many of the trace elements to satisfy our needs. Leafy vegetables and tubers were identified as the better vegetable types to biofortify with essential trace elements as they already contain higher concentrations of several of the essential trace elements and should thus be assessed for their effectiveness as crops to be biofortified. When the trace elements were applied directly to cress and lettuce seeds, it was found that all the trace elements, as well as the composite treatments, exerted phytotoxic effects on cress and/or lettuce seeds when applied athighconcentrations. Lettuce was found to be more prone to the effects of these elements. Seed germination was strongly inhibited by fluoride, while several elements affected root growth. When fluoride was left out of the composite treatment, phytotoxicity only occurred at high concentrations. The addition of the trace elements at the high concentrations to already established spinach, cabbage, lettuce and turnip plants were found to affect the uptake of several essential plant nutrients, but the concentrations of the elements affected generally remained higher than the concentrations needed for adequate growth of agricultural crops. Several of the trace elements supplied to the plants were also found to be retained in the roots of the vegetable crops however, as the concentrations supplied to the plants increased, so did the concentrations found in the edible portions of the crops

Thesis advisor: John Michalczyk / Why do we eat the foods that we do? This question is one that is not often considered by individuals as they go about their daily lives, but can have large implications on public health – for, there is a strong, physiological connection between food consumption and one’s health and wellbeing. Accordingly, when reflecting upon the health of a nation it is often important to consider its nutritional status. Ultimately, many determinants can contribute to how and why an individual eats certain foods, as can be seen in Ecuador. In this Latin American country, for instance, historical, socioeconomic, cultural, behavioral, socioeconomic, and environmental factors (among others) can be seen to influence the different diets – and by extension, the nutritional statuses – of different ethnic, regional, and geographic populations. Though common across Ecuador, discrepancies among these groups are particularly noticeable in the highland region, the Sierra. Overall, this paper examines the different forms of malnutrition, their implications on one’s health, and their prevalence across Ecuador. Additionally, it considers how the Ecuadorian diet was shaped, and how different subcuisines lend themselves to varying forms of malnutrition. Specifically, this paper focuses on the Sierra, given that levels of malnutrition are noticeably higher in this region, and that this highland area is home to large rural and indigenous communities who are most significantly impacted by the region’s nutritional conditions. / Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2017. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Arts and Sciences Honors Program. / Discipline: .