Article
Plant Sciences
Shivani Kathi, Haydee Laza, Sukhbir Singh, Leslie Thompson, Wei Li, Catherine Simpson
Summary: The consumption of plants is important for human health as they provide essential nutrients and phytonutrients that play a role in disease prevention. However, modern diets with increased consumption of processed foods result in insufficient intake of nutrients like vitamin C. While supplements can address some nutrient deficiencies, they are not as diverse or bioavailable as nutrients in plants. Increasing nutrient abundance in plants can reduce the need for supplements. In this study, broccoli microgreens were grown with supplemental ascorbic acid to increase vitamin C content, without negatively impacting plant health and mineral composition.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Astha Gupta, Tripti Sharma, Surendra Pratap Singh, Archana Bhardwaj, Deepti Srivastava, Rajendra Kumar
Summary: Microgreens are nutrient-dense superfoods with multiple health benefits such as anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-carcinogenic properties. They can be used as plant-based vegetarian foods for garnishing and enhancing flavor and texture. Integrated approaches involving genomics, transcriptomics, molecular breeding, and machine learning can be utilized to breed microgreens with increased nutritional content and improved traits.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Rachel G. Newman, Youyoun Moon, Carl E. Sams, Janet C. Tou, Nicole L. Waterland
Summary: The study investigated the effects of selenium biofortification on basil, cilantro, and scallion microgreens. Results showed a significant increase in selenium content in all herbs, with scallions showing the largest increase. Other mineral contents varied among herb species, and antioxidant capacity and total phenol content increased with the highest selenium treatments, although basil and scallions demonstrated decreased crop yield. Overall, biofortified culinary herb microgreens are an ideal functional food for enhancing selenium, dietary minerals, and antioxidants to benefit human health.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Marina Rocha Komeroski, Keyla Araujo Portal, Jorgiana Comiotto, Tammila Venzke Klug, Simone Hickmann Flores, Alessandro de Oliveira Rios
Summary: Sprouts and microgreens are gaining popularity as an alternative to traditionally matured vegetables due to their high content of bioactive compounds. This study compared the nutritional profile and bioactive compounds of organically grown arugula sprouts and microgreens in a hydroponic system. The vegetables showed high protein content, with sprouts being significantly higher than microgreens (24.8% vs 18.2%). They also had excellent levels of total fiber (34.3% sprouts; 28.7% microgreens) and soluble fiber (11.5% sprouts; 6.7% microgreens). Sprouts contained higher levels of carotenoids zeaxanthin and β-carotene, while microgreens had more O-glucosides derived from flavonoids.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Pradip Poudel, Francesco Di Gioia, Joshua D. Lambert, Erin L. Connolly
Summary: Micronutrient deficiencies caused by malnutrition and hidden hunger are a growing concern worldwide. This study evaluated the potential of zinc biofortification of pea and sunflower microgreens through seed nutri-priming. The results showed that seed soaking in a 200 ppm ZnSO4 solution resulted in higher zinc accumulation in both pea and sunflower microgreens.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Horticulture
Yun Kong, Joseph Masabni, Genhua Niu
Summary: Recent studies have shown that blue light can promote plant elongation, especially under low intensity LED lighting. However, the sensitivity to blue light varies with light environments, plant species, and growth stages. The effects of temperature on the blue light-mediated plant response are not well understood.
Article
Agronomy
Mohammad Reza Fayezizadeh, Naser Alemzadeh Ansari, Mohammad Mahmoodi Sourestani, Mirza Hasanuzzaman
Summary: The appropriate concentration of nutrient solution significantly affects the yield, antioxidant capacity, and biochemical compounds of basil microgreens in a floating system. Results showed that a 50% NS concentration led to the highest yield, while a 125% NS concentration resulted in the highest content of secondary metabolites with enhanced antioxidant capacity. A 100% NS concentration provided a balance between antioxidant properties and yield.
Article
Plant Sciences
Andreas W. Ebert
Summary: With the increasing interest in healthy eating, the global interest in fresh, ready-to-eat, functional food such as microscale vegetables (sprouted seeds and microgreens) has been on the rise. These crops range widely, with Brassica vegetables being highlighted for their health-promoting secondary metabolites. Furthermore, by adjusting factors like growing environment and growth substrate, the nutritional value and content of phytochemicals in microscale vegetables can be enhanced.
Review
Agronomy
Lucija Galic, Tomislav Vinkovic, Boris Ravnjak, Zdenko Loncaric
Summary: Selenium is an important micronutrient essential for most living organisms, with benefits for humans, animals, and plants. Selenium deficiency is a global issue, and agronomic biofortification is an effective strategy to increase selenium content in edible parts of plants.
Article
Plant Sciences
Massimiliano D'Imperio, Francesco Fabiano Montesano, Nicola Montemurro, Angelo Parente
Summary: The aim of this study was to improve the nutritional quality of brassica microgreens by adding Posidonia oceanica seagrass residues to the growing media. Results showed that the use of Posidonia in the substrate increased the iodine and boron content in the microgreens, while also ensuring the safety of the products.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Mohammad Reza Fayezizadeh, Naser Alemzadeh Ansari, Mohammad Mahmoudi Sourestani, Mirza Hasanuzzaman
Summary: This study investigated the biochemical compounds, antioxidant capacity, leaf color profile, and yield of 21 cultivars and genotypes of basil microgreen. Results showed that the Persian Ablagh genotype had the highest antioxidant potential composite index (APCI) and that the basil genotypes were classified into four clusters based on their phytochemical components. The principal components analysis revealed diversity among basil genotypes, with the origin of basil seeds playing an important role in antioxidant synthesis.
Review
Agronomy
Demeke Teklu, Dawd Gashu, Edward J. M. Joy, Tilahun Amede, Martin R. Broadley
Summary: Micronutrient deficiencies (MNDs) affect a significant proportion of the global population. Agronomic biofortification can help increase the concentration of essential minerals in food crops to improve human dietary intake. However, its feasibility depends on various factors such as access to fertilizers and considerations of crop type, genotype, climate, soils, and soil mineral interactions. This paper reviews the available literature on the potential effectiveness and challenges of agronomic biofortification in addressing MNDs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Arthur Bernardes Cecilio Filho, Camila Seno Nascimento, Breno de Jesus Pereira, Carolina Seno Nascimento
Summary: This study investigates the effect of nitrogen management on the growth, production, quality, greenhouse gas emissions, and carbon footprint of a beet-arugula intercropping system. The results show that an application of 60-120 kg N ha(-1) is the most efficient in reducing carbon footprint without compromising crop yield.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Syed Shahid Hussain Shah, Muhammad Azhar, Faisal Nadeem, Muhammad Asif Ali, Muhammad Naeem Khan, Ijaz Ahmad, Muhammad Yasir Khurshid, Muhammad Hasnain, Zeeshan Ali, Ahmad Abu Al-Ala Shaheen
Summary: In field experiments conducted in Pakistan, it was found that the application of bioactive zinc-coated urea (BAZU) can enhance the concentration, uptake, and recovery of zinc in rice and wheat grains, leading to increased agronomic efficiency and yield. The application of BAZU at the rate of 125 kg/ha proved effective in enhancing the yield of rice and wheat grains, as well as their zinc biofortification.
Article
Horticulture
Spyridon A. Petropoulos, Christophe El-Nakhel, Giulia Graziani, Marios C. Kyriacou, Youssef Rouphael
Summary: Microgreens are gaining popularity as healthy foods due to their nutritional value and bioactive compounds. This study evaluated the effects of nutrient deprivation on spinach microgreens by varying nutrient solution feeding days. Prolonged feeding (20 days) resulted in higher fresh yield and pigment contents, while 10 days treatment showed reduced nitrates, better mineral concentrations, and higher ascorbic acid, presenting a promising and sustainable practice for microgreen cultivation.
Article
Horticulture
Shivani Kathi, Catherine Simpson, Alinna Umphres, Greta Schuster
Summary: The use of cornstarch-based SAP can effectively increase the retention of water and nutrients in the soil, reducing leaching. Additionally, cornstarch-based SAP significantly influences plant growth and tomato yield, with the best results seen in the 1-kg SAP treatment.
Article
Plant Sciences
Shivani Kathi, Haydee Laza, Sukhbir Singh, Leslie Thompson, Wei Li, Catherine Simpson
Summary: The consumption of plants is important for human health as they provide essential nutrients and phytonutrients that play a role in disease prevention. However, modern diets with increased consumption of processed foods result in insufficient intake of nutrients like vitamin C. While supplements can address some nutrient deficiencies, they are not as diverse or bioavailable as nutrients in plants. Increasing nutrient abundance in plants can reduce the need for supplements. In this study, broccoli microgreens were grown with supplemental ascorbic acid to increase vitamin C content, without negatively impacting plant health and mineral composition.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2023)
