Compositional character of Papuan foods

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Abstract
In 78 food samples collected in the Papuan lowland, concentrations of major nutrients and trace elements (Na, Mg, A1, P, K, Ca, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Sr, Cd, Hg, and Pb) were measured. Principal components analysis of local foods distinguished animal foods from plant foods: factor 1 had large positive loadings on protein, Na, P, Zn, and Hg contents and negative on carbohydrate content, and factor 2, positively on Mg, Ca, Mn, and Sr contents. Elemental concentrations differed among four categories of animal foods: mammals, birds, reptiles, and fishes. The highest levels of Fe, Cu, and Zn were found in mammals; the concentrations decreased in birds, reptiles, and fishes, in that order. In contrast, Ca and Sr were abundant in fishes but not in mammals.