The present study investigated the potential of fresh peppermint (Mentha × piperita L.) and spearmint (Mentha spicata L.) production on a floating raft system combined with a commercial protein hydrolysate supplement (Amino16®) in a nutrient solution aiming to improve plant product quality. Three levels of the protein hydrolysate solution (0, 0.25 and 0.50%) were added in the nutrient solution, and the plants were harvested after twenty-four days. Plant growth characteristics were recorded, and nutritional, essential oil and polyphenolic composition were determined in fresh tissue. The addition of protein hydrolysates did not affect the fresh or dry weight but reduced plant height. Nitrate content significantly decreased, while total chlorophyll and essential oil content increased in both species. Moreover, the protein hydrolysate solution further increased total antioxidant capacity, total soluble phenol and carotenoid contents in spearmint plants, while it did not affect the essential oil and polyphenolic composition in both species. In conclusion, protein hydrolysates solution may be added in the nutrient solution, to improve the quality of peppermint and spearmint grown in a floating system, without adverse effects on crop yield or the essential oil and polyphenolic profile.

Excessive nitrogen fertilization results in nitrate accumulation in leafy vegetables. Reducing the dose of mineral nitrogen or using alternate fertilizers lowers the nitrate accumulation; however, a critical minimum level of mineral nitrogen is necessary to maintain yield and nutritional quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of two levels of mineral nitrogen (100% and 50%) and three levels of an amino acid solution (0, 0.3, and 0.9%) in the nutrient solution of two baby lettuce cultivars (green and red) grown in a floating system. Nitrogen reduction did not affect yield (12.9–13.4 and 11.0–11.3 g/plant, respectively) but reduced nitrate accumulation (by 43 and 19%, respectively) in both green and red lettuce, while enhancing phenolic content (by 28%) and antioxidant capacity (by 69%) in green lettuce and soluble solid (by 7%) and total chlorophyll content (by 9%) in red lettuce. Although nitrate accumulation was prevented (< 355 mg/kg FW) and most nutritional components increased in both lettuce types by amino acids supplementation, plant growth was negatively affected, especially in red lettuce, in both concentrations of amino acids (reduction by 9 and 35% in 0.3 and 0.9%, respectively). In both lettuce types, proline content increased by 0.9% amino acids supplementation (by 45%), implying a probable induction of a stress condition. Mineral nutrients were slightly affected by nitrogen reduction, which was probably perceived as an abiotic stress.

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Profitable hydroponic production requires high quality fresh water, which is often not available for agricultural use, while desalinisation of salty water is an expensive and unsustainable technology. In the present study, we assessed the effect of mild salinity stress during the soilless cultivation of fresh peppermint and spearmint in the floating system on biomass yield, produce quality and plant secondary metabolite content. Peppermint and spearmint plants were grown for 25 days on a nutrient solution (NS) supplemented with three different NaCl concentrations (0 mM, 10 mM or 20 mM NaCl). The plant height, root length, fresh and dry weight were recorded and composition was determined on fresh tissue. The composition of essential oil was determined upon hydrodistillation and that of polyphenolic compounds by targeted ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometer (UPLC-MS/MS). Plant growth was not suspended by the addition of NaCl in the NS, except for the plant height at the highest salinity level. In peppermint, the nutritional composition was not affected by the salinity, whereas it was significantly improved in spearmint as confirmed by the nitrate content decrease and the total antioxidant capacity, total soluble phenol, total carotenoid and essential oil content increases. Simultaneously, no effect of the salinity on essential oil or polyphenolic composition in both plants was induced. In conclusion, peppermint and spearmint production is feasible in the floating system even under mild salinity conditions, without negatively affecting either the crop yield or the plant's essential oil or phenolic composition. Indeed, low salinity levels improved the nutritional composition of spearmint plants.

A floating system was established in a heated glass greenhouse in order to investigate whether the effect of amino acids (0.25 or 0.50% of a commercial amino acid (AA) solution Amino16®) during peppermint and spearmint production on plant developmental and nutritional status may be in part attributed to salinity induced osmotic stress. For this reason, in some nutrient solutions, three levels of salinity were induced by adding 0, 10, or 20 mM NaCl. According to the results, it can be concluded that spearmint is mostly favored by the highest amino acid supplement of the nutrient solution (0.50%) in terms of a substantial improvement of the antioxidant nutritional quality (by up to 130%) at the expense of a reduced biomass production (by <30%). Enzymic antioxidant defense mechanism (APX and POD) was efficiently activated, preventing severe lipid peroxidation and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species such as H2O2 and maintaining the proline content at the normal levels. The osmotic stress that was induced by the excessive AA concentration and confirmed by the chlorophyl fluorescence variations was probably related to NH4+ excess supply in the growing media and was not associated with the elevated electrical conductivity in the solution. The absence of any adverse stressful consequences upon the addition of 20 mM NaCl may be attributed to the high salt tolerance of peppermint and spearmint species.