Elemental uptake and antioxidant activity in edible Mediterranean halophytes from Tinto River

Abstract

A complete survey is presented on elemental composition, selected amino acids and antioxidant capacity in edible halophytes from Spain. We include materials from the Iberian Peninsula: littoral-coastal Tinto River basin areas (SW Spain: Huelva province) and mainland territories (NW and central Spain: Zaragoza). The aim of this contribution is to characterize the relation between nutritional content compounds and their key role in antioxidant capacity in stress environments. Using analytical techniques such as ICP-MS, DPPH, FRAP and TBARS our results revealed the importance of different antioxidant responses in edible halophytes and their relations between elemental inorganic nutrients and stronger accumulation of some bioactive compounds like phenolic acids, flavonoids and amino acids. These molecules may be the key to the survival of these species in extreme saline environments located in Spain.