Near-infrared spectroscopy in vegetables and humans: An observational study

Abstract

Background: Cerebral near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) of tissue oxygen saturation is claimed to be a surrogate marker for global cerebral perfusion. Increasingly, NIRS target-based therapy has been used during cardiac surgery in the hope of decreasing the incidence of adverse neurological outcome.

Objectives: We report NIRS values for some common vegetables and faculty at a world-class medical institution.

Design: Observational nonblinded study.

Setting: Single tertiary care institution and local urban vegetable market.

Participants: Five yams (Dioscorea cayenensis), five courgettes (Cucurbita pepo) and five butternut squashes (Cucurbita moschata) were studied. Five cardiothoracic surgeons and anaesthesiologists were the control group.

Interventions: None.

Main outcome measures: NIRS value of each species.

Results: Mean NIRS value for the control group was 71% [95% confidence interval (CI) 68 to 74] and was similar to that of the yellow squashes [75% (95% CI 74 to 76)]. These values were significantly greater than the NIRS measurements of both the butternut squash and yam [63% (95% CI 62 to 64) and 64% (95% CI 63 to 65), respectively, P < 0.01].

Conclusion: Commonly eaten vegetables have NIRS measurements similar to those seen in healthy humans.