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The consumption of locally nutrient-rich edible plants in rural areas can be used to satisfy the dietary diversity of pregnant women. Date palm is one of the wild edible plants in different parts of the world. Studies on wild edible plants in Ethiopia cover only about 5 % of the country's districts. Furthermore, the nutrient composition of the palm heart of Phoenix reclinata is not yet investigated as it is commonly consumed by indigenous people in western Ethiopia. The utilization of such plants requires strong policy support based on scientific evidence to maintain the nutrition security of pregnant women. Homogeneous samples of 1000 grams (g) of palm hearts were collected randomly. The macronutrient contents were determined using standard methods of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC, 2000). The flame Photometric method was used for potassium and sodium determination. The carbohydrate concentration (g/100 g) was 78⋅2. It covers approximately 78⋅5 % of the total daily Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA). In line with this, the concentrations of minerals such as potassium (K+) and sodium (Na+), per milligram (mg/100 g) of the sample were 1962⋅3 and 7⋅9, respectively. The palm heart of Phoenix reclinata has many nutritional values and is important for pregnant women. Its nutrient composition is comparable with different staple foods of the country and can contribute to household food security in rural communities., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Aflatoxin B 1 (AFB 1 ) is a known human hepatocarcinogen and a recent study reported elevated AFB 1 levels, measured by serum albumin biomarkers, among Guatemalan adults. While AFB 1 can contaminate a variety of foodstuffs, including maize, Guatemala's main dietary staple, the relationship of maize intake to serum AFB 1 -albumin adducts levels in Guatemala has not been previously examined. As a result, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 461 Guatemalan adults living in five geographically distinct departments of the country. Participants provided a serum sample and completed a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to estimate the least square means (LSQ) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) of log-transformed AFB 1 -albumin adducts by quintiles of maize consumption in crude and adjusted models. Additionally, analyses of tortilla consumption and levels of maize processing were conducted. The median maize intake was 344.3 g per day [Interquartile Range (IQR): 252.2, 500.8], and the median serum AFB 1 -albumin adduct level was 8.4 pg/mg albumin (IQR: 3.8, 22.3). In adjusted analyses, there was no association between overall maize consumption and serum AFB 1 -albumin levels. However, there was a statistically significant association between tortilla consumption and AFB 1 -albumin levels (p trend  = 0.01). The LSM of AFB 1 -albumin was higher in the highest quintile of tortilla consumption compared to the lowest quintile [LSM:9.03 95%CI: 7.03,11.70 vs 6.23, 95%CI: 4.95,8.17, respectively]. These findings indicate that tortilla may be an important source of AFB 1 exposure in the Guatemalan population. Therefore, efforts to control or mitigate AFB 1 levels in contaminated maize used for tortillas may reduce overall exposure in this population.