Publication

Abstract : Introduction The indiscriminate use of pesticides worldwide poses serious public health concerns due to their persistence on food commodities. Curry leaves, a widely consumed culinary herb, have been reported to contain comparatively higher pesticide residues than many vegetables. This necessitates the search for effective and practical decontamination approaches that can be applied prior to consumption. This study evaluated the effectiveness of commonly available household food-grade ingredients in reducing pesticide residues from curry leaves. Methods Curry leaves commonly used for household consumption and grown under home garden conditions without pesticide application were selected. To simulate pesticide contamination, a mixture containing known concentrations of chlorpyrifos, dimethoate, quinalphos, ethion, and alpha-cypermethrin was uniformly sprayed onto the leaves. After a standing period of 24 h, the treated leaves were collected for analysis. Washing solutions were prepared using common salt, turmeric, tamarind pulp, lime, and vinegar. Five single-ingredient solutions, three dual-ingredient combinations, and one combined solution containing all ingredients were formulated. Samples were grouped as untreated controls ( n  = 3), water-washed samples ( n  = 3), and samples treated with washing solutions ( n  = 3 per treatment). Treated samples were soaked for 15 min and washed under running tap water for 10 min. Pesticide residues were analyzed using the QuEChERS multi-residue extraction method followed by quantification using gas chromatography–flame photometric detector (GC-FPD) and gas chromatography–electron capture detector (GC-ECD). Results Salt washing resulted in a 72% reduction in chlorpyrifos residues, while turmeric–salt and turmeric–vinegar combinations achieved 70 and 71% reduction, respectively ( p  < 0.05). For dimethoate, residue reduction was 88% with salt washing, 88% with turmeric–salt, and 87% with turmeric–vinegar ( p  < 0.05). Significant reductions were also observed with salt, turmeric–salt, and turmeric–vinegar treatments for ethion (77–82%), quinalphos (77–78%), and alpha-cypermethrin (76–78%) compared with the untreated control ( p  < 0.05). Conclusion Household washing treatments prepared using readily available kitchen ingredients significantly enhanced pesticide residue reduction in curry leaves compared with conventional water washing. These findings highlight a simple and practical household intervention to reduce dietary pesticide exposure and improve food safety.