Chemical composition and bioactive properties of Cichorium spinosum L. in relation to nitrate/ammonium nitrogen ratio

Abstract

BACKGROUND Nitrogenous fertilizers may affect the yield and quality of leafy vegetables via the application rate and nitrogen form. In the present study, the effect of the nitrate:ammonium nitrogen ratio in the nutrient solution on the chemical composition and bioactive properties of Cichorium spinosum leaves was evaluated. For this purpose, C. spinosum plants were fertigated with nutrient solution containing different ratios of nitrate: ammonium nitrogen: (i) 100:0 NO3‐N:NH4‐N; (ii) 75:25 NO3‐N:NH4‐N; (iii) 50:50 NO3‐N:NH4‐N; (iv) 25:75 NO3‐N:NH4‐N; and (v) 0:100 NO3‐N:NH4‐N of total nitrogen; as well as (vi) 100% ureic nitrogen. RESULTS The only detected tocopherol isoforms were α‐ and δ‐tocopherol, which were positively affected by nitrate nitrogen (100:0 NO3‐N:NH4‐N). Similar results were observed for individual and total organic acids. The main detected sugars were fructose, glucose and sucrose, with a varied effect of nutrient solution composition on their content, whereas total sugar concentration was positively affected by a balanced or a slightly increased proportion of NH4‐N (50:50 and 25:75 NO3‐N:NH4‐N). The fatty acids profile was beneficially affected by the highest NH4‐N ratio (0:100 NO3‐N:NH4‐N), whereas higher amounts of NO3− than NH4+ nitrogen (75:25 NO3‐N:NH4‐N) resulted in a higher content of total phenolic compounds. Finally, no cytotoxic effects were observed against non‐tumor (PLP2, HeLa) and tumor (HepG2, MCF‐7, NCI‐H460) cell lines for any of the studied nutrient solutions. CONCLUSION The modulation of NO3‐N:NH4‐N ratio in the nutrient solution supplied to C. spinosum may enhance the content of desirable health‐promoting compounds and reduce the content of antinutrients, thus increasing the overall quality of the final product without compromising yield. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry

The Optimization of Nitrogen Fertilization Regulates Crop Performance and Quality of Processing Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. Heinz 3402)

“…The highest individual and total organic acid contents were observed with the CFZ treatment (0.57 ± 0.01 g/kg fw), while the lowest values were recorded with the SR treatment (0.29 ± 0.04 g/kg fw). Similarly to in our study, Zhang et al [86] reported that increased nitrogen availability resulted in an increase in organic acid content in spinach, while the nitrogen source may also affect organic acid content in edible greens [87,88]. Moreover, the addition of zeolite seems to have a beneficial effect on organic acid accumulation, a finding that is probably associated with the better nitrogen availability in soil after zeolite application [41,89].…”

Wild and Cultivated Centaurea raphanina subsp. mixta: A Valuable Source of Bioactive Compounds

“…The higher oxalic acid content observed in the cultivated plants compared to the wild ones could be explained by differences in pH level, nitrogen availability, and/or nitrogen form available in the growing medium and natural soil, respectively. Lower levels of oxalic acid have been observed in Cichorium spinosum L. [66], purslane [67] and spinach [68] with an increasing proportion of NH 4 -N versus NO 3 -N, which is likely to be observed in a natural soil versus a cultivated and more aerated soil. Yet, the high level of oxalic acid observed in cultivated plants could also be explained by a higher availability of total nitrogen in the cultivation system compared to the non-fertilized wild plants.…”

Chemical Composition and Plant Growth of Centaurea raphanina subsp. mixta Plants Cultivated under Saline Conditions

“…The ability of wild species to resist or tolerate stressful conditions suggests they could be used as alternative farming options in soils and climates where conventional species are difficult or impractical to be grown; for the same reason, these species can become an option for small-scale farming allowing the farmers to be competitive within the rapidly changing global market and market needs for novel foods [5][6][7][8][9][10]. Until recently, many reports have highlighted the importance of growing conditions and cultivation practices for producing wild edible greens, focusing on the domestication of these species, their incorporation in sustainable cultivation systems and the rational use of natural resources [2,[11][12][13][14][15]. Moreover, several efforts have been made to emphasize the health benefits resulting from the inclusion of these species in modern diets, since they usually contain numerous bioactive secondary metabolites associated with positive health effects [16][17][18][19].…”

“…Similarly, Disciglio et al [11], who studied the chemical composition of wild and cultivated Borago officinalis L., Cichorium intybus L. and Diplotaxis tenuifolia L. plants, reported higher contents of total phenols and antioxidant activity for wild C. intybus and B. officinalis plants, whereas no significant differences were reported in the case of D. tenuifolia. Moreover, cultivation practices such as the fertilization regime, the salinity level, the harvesting stage and the growing medium could affect the chemical composition and the overall quality and the bioactive properties of the final product [2,8,14,15,48,49].…”