Zinc and Iron Agronomic Biofortification of Brassicaceae Microgreens

Abstract

Insufficient or suboptimal dietary intake of iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) represent a latent health issue affecting a large proportion of the global population, particularly among young children and women living in poor regions at high risk of malnutrition. Agronomic crop biofortification, which consists of increasing the accumulation of target nutrients in edible plant tissues through fertilization or other eliciting factors, has been proposed as a short-term approach to develop functional staple crops and vegetables to address micronutrient deficiency. The aim of the presented study was to evaluate the potential for biofortification of Brassicaceae microgreens through Zn and Fe enrichment. The effect of nutrient solutions supplemented with zinc sulfate (Exp-1; 0, 5, 10, 20 mg L −1 ) and iron sulfate (Exp-2; 0, 10, 20, 40 mg L −1 ) was tested on the growth, yield, and mineral concentration of arugula, red cabbage, and red mustard microgreens. Zn and Fe accumulation in all three species increased according to a quadratic model. However, significant interactions were observed between Zn or Fe level and the species examined, suggesting that the response to Zn and Fe enrichment was genotype specific. The application of Zn at 5 and 10 mg L −1 resulted in an increase in Zn concentration compared to the untreated control ranging from 75% to 281%, while solutions enriched with Fe at 10 and 20 mg L −1 increased Fe shoot concentration from 64% in arugula up to 278% in red cabbage. In conclusion, the tested Brassicaceae species grown in soilless systems are good targets to produce high quality Zn and Fe biofortified microgreens through the simple manipulation of nutrient solution composition.

Grown to Be Blue—Antioxidant Properties and Health Effects of Colored Vegetables. Part II: Leafy, Fruit, and Other Vegetables

“…Out of seventeen anthocyanins identified in the four genotypes only three isomers were predominant in all the genotypes examined: (Table 3). In agreement with previous studies, Moreno et al [233] concluded that broccoli sprouts could be an excellent source of bioactive compounds rich of flavonoids, including acylated anthocyanins, along with glucosinolates, vitamins, and minerals [234][235][236], and that future studies should evaluate the potential of further enhancing the content of bioactive compounds in broccoli sprouts.…”

Small Functional Foods: Comparative Phytochemical and Nutritional Analyses of Five Microgreens of the Brassicaceae Family

“…Plant water content is an important factor in establishing the turgor of plant cells; an adequate presence of water in plant cells ensures optimal metabolism, in terms of (i) the absorption of salts from the outside (soil or substrate), (ii) proper evapotranspiration, (iii) the regulation of the leaf temperature, and iv) the photosynthetic process [ 37 ]. The results obtained in the present work evidenced that the water content of all of the microgreens was quite high, although they were grown in soil instead of the more commonly used hydroponic or soilless technique [ 5 , 11 , 38 ]. The highest percentage of water was measured in daikon microgreens (93.59%), as was predictable due to their fleshy leaves, while in the other analyzed species it was higher than 85%.…”

“…However, in the present report, some data differed from other data that have already been published; these discrepancies can be attributed to different cultivation techniques—e.g., greenhouse conditions—and to differences in the used soil. In the present work, the microgreens were cultivated in an organic substrate instead of the frequently used soilless or hydroponic culture [ 38 ]. Moreover, the harvest time (the day of cultivation of the microgreens at harvest) is not reported frequently enough to allow a comparison [ 5 , 6 , 38 , 39 ].…”

“…In the present work, the microgreens were cultivated in an organic substrate instead of the frequently used soilless or hydroponic culture [ 38 ]. Moreover, the harvest time (the day of cultivation of the microgreens at harvest) is not reported frequently enough to allow a comparison [ 5 , 6 , 38 , 39 ]. Anthocyanins were detected in a high concentration in mustard; their leaf margins, indeed, showed a red color, which is retained in the adult phase [ 42 ].…”

Accumulation of Agmatine, Spermidine, and Spermine in Sprouts and Microgreens of Alfalfa, Fenugreek, Lentil, and Daikon Radish

“…High contents of polyphenols, anthocyanins, and other redox-active compounds, i.e., vitamins, glucosinolates, and minerals, have been found [4][5][6][7]. Modulation of the light regime [8] and the composition of the growth solution for microgreens have shown a high potential for biofortification with minerals [9] and secondary metabolites [10].…”