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Advanced Research on Sprouts and Microgreens as a Source of Bioactive Compounds

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A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Phytochemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2022) | Viewed by 36228

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Beatrice Falcinelli

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Guest Editor

Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, University of Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno, 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy
Interests: sprouts; microgreens; wheatgrass; phytochemicals; phenolic compounds; antioxidant activity; elicitation; food supplements

Dr. Angelica Galieni

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Guest Editor

Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Research Centre for Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (CREA-OF), Via Salaria 1, 63077 Monsampolo del Tronto, AP, Italy
Interests: elicitation; abiotic stress; phytochemicals; sprouts; microgreens; yield quality; plant physiology; stress physiology; seed germination

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, sprouts and microgreens have attracted increasing interest as a considerable source of bioactive compounds. In this context, the main challenge for the future is to design new plant products suitable for the agricultural, food and pharmaceutical industries. This topic is very wide, but the knowledge about it is still limited or lacking. For this reason, there is a big room and need for countless studies involving different disciplines of the biological sciences.

This Special Issue of Plants will collect and discuss advanced and innovative research aimed at (i) exploring the diversity of plant species and studying their wide range of bioactive compounds to identify species with the most suitable germinative and nutritional traits for sprouting purposes; (ii) using unusual and innovative elicitation strategies to improve the nutritional value of the sprouts and microgreens and to provide useful results for the development of technology in this sector; (iii) allowing the production of countless new enriched, and maybe nutraceutical, foods; (iv) deepening into beneficial health implications for both human and animal nutrition.

Dr. Beatrice Falcinelli
Dr. Angelica Galieni
Guest Editors

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sprouting
wheatgrass
microgreens
elicitor
food supplementation
phytochemicals
phenolic compounds
antioxidant activity

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Research

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20 pages, 2400 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Wheat Crop Nitrogen Fertilization Schedule on the Phenolic Content and Antioxidant Activity of Sprouts and Wheatgrass Obtained from Offspring Grains

by Beatrice Falcinelli, Angelica Galieni, Giacomo Tosti, Fabio Stagnari, Flaviano Trasmundi, Eleonora Oliva, Annalisa Scroccarello, Manuel Sergi, Michele Del Carlo and Paolo Benincasa

Plants 2022, 11(15), 2042; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11152042 - 04 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1542

Abstract

This work was aimed at investigating the effects of rate and timing of nitrogen fertilization applied to a maternal wheat crop on phytochemical content and antioxidant activity of edible sprouts and wheatgrass obtained from offspring grains. We hypothesized that imbalance in N nutrition experienced by the mother plants translates into transgenerational responses on seedlings obtained from the offspring seeds. To this purpose, we sprouted grains of two bread wheat cultivars (Bologna and Bora) grown in the field under four N fertilization schedules: constantly well N fed with a total of 300 kg N ha⁻¹; N fed only very early, i.e., one month after sowing, with 60 kg N ha⁻¹; N fed only late, i.e., at initial shoot elongation, with 120 kg N ha⁻¹; and unfertilized control. We measured percent germination, seedling growth, vegetation indices (by reflectance spectroscopy), the phytochemical content (total phenols, phenolic acids, carotenoids, chlorophylls), and the antioxidant activity (by gold nanoparticles photometric assay) of extracts in sprout and wheatgrass obtained from the harvested seeds. Our main finding is that grains obtained from crops subjected to late N deficiency produced wheatgrass with much higher phenolic content (as compared to the other N treatments), and this was observed in both cultivars. Thus, we conclude that late N deficiency is a stressing condition which elicits the production of phenols. This may help counterbalance the loss of income related to lower grain yield in crops subjected to such an imbalance in N nutrition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research on Sprouts and Microgreens as a Source of Bioactive Compounds)

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14 pages, 2249 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Analysis of Policosanols Related to Growth Times from the Seedlings of Various Korean Oat (Avena sativa L.) Cultivars and Screening for Adenosine 5′-Monophosphate-Activated Protein Kinase (AMPK) Activation

by Han-Gyeol Lee, So-Yeun Woo, Hyung-Jae Ahn, Ji-Yeong Yang, Mi-Ja Lee, Hyun-Young Kim, Seung-Yeob Song, Jin-Hwan Lee and Woo-Duck Seo

Plants 2022, 11(14), 1844; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11141844 - 14 Jul 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1489

Abstract

The objectives of this research were to evaluate the policosanol profiles and adenosine-5′-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) properties in the seedlings of Korean oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivars at different growth times. Nine policosanols in the silylated hexane extracts were detected using GC-MS and their contents showed considerable differences; specifically, hexacosanol (6) exhibited the highest composition, constituting 88–91% of the total average content. Moreover, the average hexacosanol (6) contents showed remarkable variations of 337.8 (5 days) → 416.8 (7 days) → 458.9 (9 days) → 490.0 (11 days) → 479.2 (13 days) → 427.0 mg/100 g (15 days). The seedlings collected at 11 days showed the highest average policosanol content (541.7 mg/100 g), with the lowest content being 383.4 mg/100 g after 5 days. Interestingly, policosanols from oat seedlings grown for 11 days induced the most prevalent phenotype of AMPK activation in HepG2 cells, indicating that policosanols are an excellent AMPK activator. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research on Sprouts and Microgreens as a Source of Bioactive Compounds)

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12 pages, 1670 KiB

Open AccessArticle

In Vitro Oxidative Stress Threatening Maize Pollen Germination and Cytosolic Ca²⁺ Can Be Mitigated by Extracts of Emmer Wheatgrass Biofortified with Selenium

by Alberto Marco Del Pino, Beatrice Falcinelli, Roberto D’Amato, Daniela Businelli, Paolo Benincasa and Carlo Alberto Palmerini

Plants 2022, 11(7), 859; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11070859 - 24 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1609

Abstract

In this work, we studied the effects of in vitro oxidative stress applied by H₂O₂ to maize pollen germination and cytosolic Ca²⁺, taken as an experimental model to test the biological activity of extracts of emmer (Triticum turgidum L. spp. dicoccum (Schrank ex Shubler) Thell.) wheatgrass obtained from grains sprouted with distilled water, or salinity (50 mM) or selenium (45 mg L⁻¹ of Na₂SeO₃). Wheatgrass extracts were obtained in two ways: by direct extraction in methanol, which represented the free phenolic fraction of extracts (Ef), and by residual content after alkaline digestion, which made it possible to obtain extracts with the bound fraction (Eb). Comparative tests on maize pollen were carried out by differently combining H₂O₂ and either wheatgrass extracts or pure phenolic acids (4-HO benzoic, caffeic, p-coumaric and salicylic). The cytosolic Ca²⁺ of maize pollen was influenced by either H₂O₂ or pure phenolic acids or Ef, but not by Eb. The negative effect of H₂O₂ on maize pollen germination and cytosolic Ca²⁺ was mitigated by Ef and, slightly, by Eb. The extent of the biological response of Ef depended on the sprouting conditions (i.e., distilled water, salinity or selenium). The extracts of Se-biofortified wheatgrass were the most effective in counteracting the oxidative stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research on Sprouts and Microgreens as a Source of Bioactive Compounds)

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15 pages, 2307 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Ultraviolet-B Irradiation Increases Antioxidant Capacity of Pakchoi (Brassica rapa L.) by Inducing Flavonoid Biosynthesis

by Juan Hao, Panpan Lou, Yidie Han, Lijun Zheng, Jiangjie Lu, Zhehao Chen, Jun Ni, Yanjun Yang and Maojun Xu

Plants 2022, 11(6), 766; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11060766 - 13 Mar 2022

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2206

Abstract

As an important abiotic stress factor, ultraviolet-B (UV-B) light can stimulate the accumulation of antioxidants in plants. In this study, the possibility of enhancing antioxidant capacity in pakchoi (Brassica rapa L.) by UV-B supplementation was assessed. Irradiation with 4 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ UV-B for 4 h or 2 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ UV-B for 24 h significantly increased the 1,1–diphenyl–2–picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) scavenging activity and total reductive capacity, as a result of inducing a greater accumulation of total polyphenols and flavonoids without affecting the plant biomass. A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis showed that the concentrations of many flavonoids significantly increased in response to UV-B treatment. The activities of three enzymes involved in the early steps of flavonoid biosynthesis, namely phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), cinnamate-4-hydroxylase (C4H), and 4-coumarate: coenzyme A (CoA) ligase (4CL), were significantly increased after the corresponding UV-B treatment. Compared with the control, the expression levels of several flavonoid biosynthesis genes (namely BrPAL, BrC4H, Br4CL, BrCHS, BrF3H, BrF3′H, BrFLS, BrDFR, BrANS, and BrLDOX) were also significantly up–regulated in the UV-B treatment group. The results suggest that appropriate preharvest UV-B supplementation could improve the nutritional quality of greenhouse-grown pakchoi by promoting the accumulation of antioxidants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research on Sprouts and Microgreens as a Source of Bioactive Compounds)

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19 pages, 1851 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Innovating the Synergistic Assets of β-Amino Butyric Acid (BABA) and Selenium Nanoparticles (SeNPs) in Improving the Growth, Nitrogen Metabolism, Biological Activities, and Nutritive Value of Medicago interexta Sprouts

by Samy Selim, Nosheen Akhtar, Eman El Azab, Mona Warrad, Hassan H. Alhassan, Mohamed Abdel-Mawgoud, Soad K. Al Jaouni and Hamada Abdelgawad

Plants 2022, 11(3), 306; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11030306 - 24 Jan 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 2794

Abstract

In view of the wide traditional uses of legume sprouts, several strategies have been approved to improve their growth, bioactivity, and nutritive values. In this regard, the present study aimed at investigating how priming with selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs, 25 mg L⁻¹) enhanced the effects of β-amino butyric acid (BABA, 30 mM) on the growth, physiology, nitrogen metabolism, and bioactive metabolites of Medicago interexta sprouts. The results have shown that the growth and photosynthesis of M. interexta sprouts were enhanced by the treatment with BABA or SeNPs, being higher under combined treatment. Increased photosynthesis provided the precursors for the biosynthesis of primary and secondary metabolites. In this regard, the combined treatment had a more pronounced effect on the bioactive primary metabolites (essential amino acids), secondary metabolites (phenolics, GSH, and ASC), and mineral profiles of the investigated sprouts than that of sole treatments. Increased amino acids were accompanied by increased nitrogen metabolism, i.e., nitrate reductase, glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), glutamate synthase (GOGAT), glutamine synthase (GS), cysteine synthesis serine acetyltransferase, arginase, threonine synthase, and methionine synthase. Further, the antioxidant capacity (FRAP), the anti-diabetic activities (i.e., α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition activities), and the glycemic index of the tested sprouts were more significantly improved by the combined treatment with BABA and SeNPs than by individual treatment. Overall, the combined effect of BABA and SeNPs could be preferable to their individual effects on plant growth and bioactive metabolites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research on Sprouts and Microgreens as a Source of Bioactive Compounds)

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18 pages, 2524 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Sprouting under Potassium Nitrate Priming on Nitrogen Assimilation and Bioactivity of Three Medicago Species

by Ahlem Zrig, Ahmed Saleh, Foued Hamouda, Mohammad K. Okla, Wahidah H. Al-Qahtani, Yasmeen A. Alwasel, Abdulrahman Al-Hashimi, Momtaz Y. Hegab, Abdelrahim H. A. Hassan and Hamada AbdElgawad

Plants 2022, 11(1), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11010071 - 27 Dec 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2767

Abstract

Edible sprouts are rich in flavonoids and other polyphenols, as well as proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Increasing sprout consumption necessitates improving their quality, palatability, and bioactivity. The purpose of this study was to test how KNO₃ priming affects the sprouting process species on three Medicago species (Medicago indicus, Medicago interexta, and Medicago polymorpha) and their nutritional values. Targeted species of Medicago were primed with KNO₃, and the levels of different primary and secondary metabolites were determined. KNO₃ induced biomass accumulation in the sprouts of the three species, accompanied by an increased content of total mineral nutrients, pigments, vitamins, and essential amino acids. Besides, our results showed that KNO₃ enhanced the activity of nitrate reductase (NR), glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), and glutamine synthetase (GS) enzymes, which are involved in the nitrogen metabolism and GOGAT cycle, which, in turn, increase the nitrogen and protein production. KNO₃ treatment improved the bioactive compound activities of Medicago sprouts by increasing total phenolic and flavonoid contents and enhancing the antioxidant and antidiabetic activities. Furthermore, species-specific responses toward KNO₃ priming were noticeable, where Medicago interexta showed the highest antioxidant and antidiabetic activities, followed by Medicago polymorpha. Overall, this study sheds the light on the physiological and biochemical bases of growth, metabolism, and tissue quality improvement impact of KNO₃ on Medicago sprouts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research on Sprouts and Microgreens as a Source of Bioactive Compounds)

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25 pages, 2758 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Bacterial Endophytes as a Promising Approach to Enhance the Growth and Accumulation of Bioactive Metabolites of Three Species of Chenopodium Sprouts

by Mohammed S. Almuhayawi, Mohamed Abdel-Mawgoud, Soad K. Al Jaouni, Saad M. Almuhayawi, Mohammed H. Alruhaili, Samy Selim and Hamada AbdElgawad

Plants 2021, 10(12), 2745; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10122745 - 13 Dec 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2413

Abstract

Sprouts are regarded as an untapped source of bioactive components that display various biological properties. Endophytic bacterium inoculation can enhance plant chemical composition and improve its nutritional quality. Herein, six endophytes (Endo 1 to Endo 6) were isolated from Chenopodium plants and morphologically and biochemically identified. Then, the most active isolate Endo 2 (strain JSA11) was employed to enhance the growth and nutritive value of the sprouts of three Chenopodium species, i.e., C. ambrosoides, C. ficifolium, and C. botrys. Endo 2 (strain JSA11) induced photosynthesis and the mineral uptake, which can explain the high biomass accumulation. Endo 2 (strain JSA11) improved the nutritive values of the treated sprouts through bioactive metabolite (antioxidants, vitamins, unsaturated fatty acid, and essential amino acids) accumulation. These increases were correlated with increased amino acid levels and phenolic metabolism. Consequently, the antioxidant activity of the Endo 2 (strain JSA11)-treated Chenopodium sprouts was enhanced. Moreover, Endo 2 (strain JSA11) increased the antibacterial activity against several pathogenic bacteria and the anti-inflammatory activities as evidenced by the reduced activity of cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase. Overall, the Endo 2 (strain JSA11) treatment is a successful technique to enhance the bioactive contents and biological properties of Chenopodium sprouts. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research on Sprouts and Microgreens as a Source of Bioactive Compounds)

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16 pages, 7295 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Developmental Stages-Specific Response of Anise Plants to Laser-Induced Growth, Nutrients Accumulation, and Essential Oil Metabolism

by Mohammad K. Okla, Mohamed Abdel-Mawgoud, Saud A. Alamri, Zahid Khorshid Abbas, Wahidah H. Al-Qahtani, Salem Mesfir Al-Qahtani, Nadi Awad Al-Harbi, Abdelrahim H. A. Hassan, Samy Selim, Mohammed H. Alruhaili and Hamada AbdElgawad

Plants 2021, 10(12), 2591; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10122591 - 26 Nov 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2176

Abstract

Compared to seeds and mature tissues, sprouts are well known for their higher nutritive and biological values. Fruits of Pimpinella anisum (anise) are extensively consumed as food additives; however, the sprouting-induced changes in their nutritious metabolites are hardly studied. Herein, we investigated the bioactive metabolites, phytochemicals, and antioxidant properties of fruits, sprouts (9-day-old), and mature tissue (5-week-old) of anise under laser irradiation treatment (He-Ne laser, 632 nm). Laser treatment increased biomass accumulation of both anise sprouts and mature plants. Bioactive primary (e.g., proteins and sugars) and secondary metabolites (e.g., phenolic compounds), as well as mineral levels, were significantly enhanced by sprouting and/or laser light treatment. Meanwhile, laser light has improved the levels of essential oils and their related precursors (e.g., phenylalanine), as well as enzyme activities [e.g., O–methyltransferase and 3-Deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase (DAHPS)] in mature tissues. Moreover, laser light induced higher levels of antioxidant and anti-lipidemic activities in sprouts as compared to fruits and mature tissues. Particularly at the sprouting stage, anise was more responsive to laser light treatment than mature plants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research on Sprouts and Microgreens as a Source of Bioactive Compounds)

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18 pages, 8212 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Elevated CO₂ on Biomolecules’ Accumulation in Caraway (Carum carvi L.) Plants at Different Developmental Stages

by Hamada AbdElgawad, Mohammad K. Okla, Saud S. Al-amri, Abdulrahman AL-Hashimi, Wahida H. AL-Qahtani, Salem Mesfir Al-Qahtani, Zahid Khorshid Abbas, Nadi Awad Al-Harbi, Ayman Abd Algafar, Mohammed S. Almuhayawi, Samy Selim and Mohamed Abdel-Mawgoud

Plants 2021, 10(11), 2434; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10112434 - 11 Nov 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 2449

Abstract

Caraway plants have been known as a rich source of phytochemicals, such as flavonoids, monoterpenoid glucosides and alkaloids. In this regard, the application of elevated CO₂ (eCO₂) as a bio-enhancer for increasing plant growth and phytochemical content has been the focus of many studies; however, the interaction between eCO₂ and plants at different developmental stages has not been extensively explored. Thus, the present study aimed at investigating the changes in growth, photosynthesis and phytochemicals of caraway plants at two developmental stages (sprouts and mature tissues) under control and increased CO₂ conditions (ambient CO₂ (a CO₂, 400 ± 27 μmol CO₂ mol⁻¹ air) and eCO₂, 620 ± 42 μmol CO₂ mol⁻¹ air ppm). Moreover, we evaluated the impact of eCO₂-induced changes in plant metabolites on the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of caraway sprouts and mature plants. CO₂ enrichment increased photosynthesis and biomass accumulation of both caraway stages. Regarding their phytochemical contents, caraway plants interacted differently with eCO₂, depending on their developmental stages. High levels of CO₂ enhanced the production of total nutrients, i.e., carbohydrates, proteins, fats and crude fibers, as well as organic and amino acids, in an equal pattern in both caraway sprouts and mature plants. Interestingly, the eCO₂-induced effect on minerals, vitamins and phenolics was more pronounced in caraway sprouts than the mature tissues. Furthermore, the antioxidant and antibacterial activities of caraway plants were enhanced under eCO₂ treatment, particularly at the mature stage. Overall, eCO₂ provoked changes in the phytochemical contents of caraway plants, particularly at the sprouting stage and, hence, improved their nutritive and health-promoting properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research on Sprouts and Microgreens as a Source of Bioactive Compounds)

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19 pages, 2395 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Potential Importance of Molybdenum Priming to Metabolism and Nutritive Value of Canavalia spp. Sprouts

by Mohammad K. Okla, Nosheen Akhtar, Saud A. Alamri, Salem Mesfir Al-Qahtani, Ahmed Ismail, Zahid Khurshid Abbas, Abdullah A. AL-Ghamdi, Ahmad A. Qahtan, Walid H. Soufan, Ibrahim A. Alaraidh, Samy Selim and Hamada AbdElgawad

Plants 2021, 10(11), 2387; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants10112387 - 05 Nov 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2383

Abstract

Molybdenum ions (Mo) can improve plants’ nutritional value primarily by enhancing nitrogenous metabolism. In this study, the comparative effects of seed priming using Mo were evaluated among sproutings of Canavalia species/cultivars, including Canavalia ensiformis var. gladiata (CA1), Canavalia ensiformis var. truncata Ricker (CA2), and Canavalia gladiata var. alba Hisauc (CA3). Mo impacts on growth, metabolism (e.g., nitrogen and phenolic metabolism, pigment and total nutrient profiles), and biological activities were assayed. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to correlate Mo-mediated impacts. The results showed that Mo induced photosynthetic pigments that resulted in an improvement in growth and increased biomass. The N content was increased 0.3-fold in CA3 and 0.2-fold in CA1 and CA2. Enhanced nitrogen metabolism by Mo provided the precursors for amino acids, protein, and lipid biosynthesis. At the secondary metabolic level, phenolic metabolism-related precursors and enzyme activities were also differentially increased in Canavalia species/cultivars. The observed increase in metabolism resulted in the enhancement of the antioxidant (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH) free radical scavenging, 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP)) and antidiabetic potential (Glycemic index (GI) and inhibition activity of α-amylase, and α-glucosidase) of species. The antioxidant activity increased 20% in CA3, 14% in CA1, and 8% in CA2. Furthermore, PCA showed significant variations not only between Mo-treated and untreated samples but also among Canavalia species. Overall, this study indicated that the sprouts of Canavalia species have tremendous potential for commercial usage due to their high nutritive value, which can be enhanced further with Mo treatment to accomplish the demand for nutritious feed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research on Sprouts and Microgreens as a Source of Bioactive Compounds)

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Review

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35 pages, 2611 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Sprouts and Microgreens—Novel Food Sources for Healthy Diets

by Andreas W. Ebert

Plants 2022, 11(4), 571; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11040571 - 21 Feb 2022

Cited by 67 | Viewed by 12607

Abstract

With the growing interest of society in healthy eating, the interest in fresh, ready-to-eat, functional food, such as microscale vegetables (sprouted seeds and microgreens), has been on the rise in recent years globally. This review briefly describes the crops commonly used for microscale vegetable production, highlights Brassica vegetables because of their health-promoting secondary metabolites (polyphenols, glucosinolates), and looks at consumer acceptance of sprouts and microgreens. Apart from the main crops used for microscale vegetable production, landraces, wild food plants, and crops’ wild relatives often have high phytonutrient density and exciting flavors and tastes, thus providing the scope to widen the range of crops and species used for this purpose. Moreover, the nutritional value and content of phytochemicals often vary with plant growth and development within the same crop. Sprouted seeds and microgreens are often more nutrient-dense than ungerminated seeds or mature vegetables. This review also describes the environmental and priming factors that may impact the nutritional value and content of phytochemicals of microscale vegetables. These factors include the growth environment, growing substrates, imposed environmental stresses, seed priming and biostimulants, biofortification, and the effect of light in controlled environments. This review also touches on microgreen market trends. Due to their short growth cycle, nutrient-dense sprouts and microgreens can be produced with minimal input; without pesticides, they can even be home-grown and harvested as needed, hence having low environmental impacts and a broad acceptance among health-conscious consumers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Research on Sprouts and Microgreens as a Source of Bioactive Compounds)

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