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Sprouts, Microgreens and Edible Flowers as Novel Functional Foods

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A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Horticultural and Floricultural Crops".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (16 April 2021) | Viewed by 68186

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Prof. Dr. Youssef Rouphael

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Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
Interests: greenhouse crops; vegetables production; hydroponics and aquaponics; plant nutrition; microgreens; sprouts; edible flowers; functional foods; grafting; microbial and non-microbial biostimulants; biofortification; vegetable quality related to preharvest factors; LED; urban agriculture; organic farming
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Prof. Dr. Giuseppe Colla

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Guest Editor

Department of Agriculture and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Interests: microgreens; sprouts; functional food; crop production; plant nutrition; fertilizers; organic farming; organic agriculture; nutrient management; biofertilizers; vegetable production; fruit quality; fertigation; hydroponics; vegetable crops; biofortification
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Stefania De Pascale

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Guest Editor

Department of Agricultural Sciences, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, 80138 Napoli, NA, Italy
Interests: open field vegetable production; greenhouse production; sustainable water and nutrition management; hydroponic systems; crop water and salinity stress-tolerance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Attention in functional and nutraceutical novel foods has been on the rise, compelled by the increased interest of scientists, food nutritionists, growers, and especially consumers for diets that support longevity and health combined with gastronomic delight. Sprouts and especially microgreens are two classes of specialty, novel crops produced from the seeds of vegetables, cereals, herbs, and wild species. Both sprouts and microgreens can be consumed raw, and they are characterized by their fortified phytonutrient content, particularly amino acids, carotenoids, flavonoids, glucosinolates, macro- and micro-minerals, as well as vitamins. The nutritional and functional quality, the shelf-life, as well as the microbial safety of these two specialty crops are modulated in several ways preharvest (species, plant nutrition, biofortification, substrate, temperature, light quality, and quantity) and postharvest (light exposure, storage temperature, atmospheric composition, and packaging technology). This Special Issue invites original research papers, opinions, and perspectives (but not review articles) dissecting the main preharvest and postharvest factors implicated in the modulation of nutritional and functional quality of sprouts and microgreens. The analytical aspects of submitted works must be of high standard (e.g., HPLC/GC/mass spectrometry orbitrap), while works covering mainly physical and spectrophotometric assessments will not be considered.

Prof. Youssef Rouphael
Prof. Giuseppe Colla
Prof. Stefania De Pascale
Guest Editors

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Keywords

HPLC-DAD
orbitrap
microgreens
sprouts
functional foods
light
biofortification
shelf-life
packaging
antioxidant activity
phenolic compounds
genotypic variation

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Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

4 pages, 201 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Sprouts, Microgreens and Edible Flowers as Novel Functional Foods

by Youssef Rouphael, Giuseppe Colla and Stefania De Pascale

Agronomy 2021, 11(12), 2568; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11122568 - 17 Dec 2021

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 3459

Abstract

Nowadays, interest in novel functional foods has been on the rise, compelled by the increased interest of the consumers, researchers, food nutritionists, producers, and extension specialists for diets able to maintain health and preventing chronic diseases by providing essential nutrients, phytochemicals, and calories [...] Read more.

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sprouts, Microgreens and Edible Flowers as Novel Functional Foods)

Research

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12 pages, 1097 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Selenium Biofortification of Three Wild Species, Rumex acetosa L., Plantago coronopus L., and Portulaca oleracea L., Grown as Microgreens

by Martina Puccinelli, Beatrice Pezzarossa, Lucia Pintimalli and Fernando Malorgio

Agronomy 2021, 11(6), 1155; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11061155 - 4 Jun 2021

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 3763

Abstract

Microgreens of wild herbs are a source of healthy compounds. Selenium (Se) biofortification of microgreens could help increase the Se content and thus contribute to Se requirements in humans. We evaluated whether three wild herbs, Rumex acetosa L., Plantago coronopus L., and Portulaca oleracea L., were suitable for biofortification in order to obtain products with high nutraceutical value. In the first experiment, the three species were enriched with Na₂SeO₄ at 0 and 1.5 mg Se L⁻¹, and the effects of Se on the nutraceutical characteristics of microgreens were evaluated. In the second experiment, using P. oleracea enriched with 0, 1.5, 5, and 10 mg Se L⁻¹, we investigated whether there was a relation between the increasing Se concentrations in the nutrient solution and the Se content in microgreens. The Se added was taken up by roots and accumulated in the aerial part. P. coronopus exhibited the highest ability to accumulate selenium, and the Se-enriched microgreens showed the highest chlorophyll and flavonoid content. The strong correlation between the Se concentration in the growth solution and the Se accumulated in P. oleracea may enable the cultivation of microgreens with the targeted Se content. The resulting Se-biofortified microgreens of wild species could represent a new vegetable product with high nutraceutical value also ensuring a sufficient dietary intake of Se. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sprouts, Microgreens and Edible Flowers as Novel Functional Foods)

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20 pages, 2120 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Nutritional and Sensory Quality of Two Types of Cress Microgreens Depending on the Mineral Nutrition

by Norbert Keutgen, Michael Hausknecht, Magda Tomaszewska-Sowa and Anna Jadwiga Keutgen

Agronomy 2021, 11(6), 1110; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11061110 - 29 May 2021

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 4604

Abstract

The present study addressed the combination of nutritional and sensory quality assessment of radish and garden cress as microgreens cultivated in different amounts of mineral nutrients under conditions that can be realized in a private household. The content of value adding compounds was determined by means of chemical analyses. Total flavor impression and visual appearance were rated by untrained consumer tests. In cotyledons of radish cress (Raphanus sativus L.), carotenoid, total phenols, nitrate contents, and antioxidant capacity decreased significantly with decreasing mineral content in the nutrient solution, whereas, in stems, total phenols and anthocyanin contents rose and nitrate content decreased significantly with decreasing mineral content. In garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.), carotenoid and nitrate contents decreased and anthocyanin content increased significantly with decreasing mineral content, indicating that the response of value adding compounds to changing amounts of minerals in the nutrient solution depends on the compound of interest, plant species, and even the plant organ of a species. The sensory quality of the studied microgreens was generally rated highest when mineral content in the nutrient solution was highest, indicating that sensory quality is not necessarily identical with nutritional quality. Considering the common practice in private households, cultivation with tap water represents an attractive compromise for nutritional and sensory quality in case of garden cress, whereas, for radish cress, the application of 25% modified Hoagland solution is recommended. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sprouts, Microgreens and Edible Flowers as Novel Functional Foods)

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9 pages, 622 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Mineral and Antioxidant Attributes of Petroselinum crispum at Different Stages of Ontogeny: Microgreens vs. Baby Greens

by Christophe El-Nakhel, Antonio Pannico, Giulia Graziani, Maria Giordano, Marios C. Kyriacou, Alberto Ritieni, Stefania De Pascale and Youssef Rouphael

Agronomy 2021, 11(5), 857; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11050857 - 28 Apr 2021

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3060

Abstract

Parsley is an aromatic herb native to the Mediterranean region and treasured for its phytochemical profile and bioactive properties. Developmental stage at harvest is a factor that modulates the nutritional quality of vegetables, including young greens. Accordingly, an experiment under strictly controlled conditions was carried out to compare the mineral macronutrient and phytochemical composition as well as the antioxidant activity of plain-leaf parsley (Petroselinum crispum cv. Comune 2) at two different harvest maturity stages, microgreens and baby greens. Macronutrients, carotenoids (lutein and β-carotene) and polyphenols were quantified through ion chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography with a diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) and UHPLC-Q-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), respectively. Microgreens accumulated more potassium and phosphorus, whereas baby greens accumulated more calcium and magnesium, and 65.5% less nitrate. In addition, microgreens provided 1.8-fold more lutein and 2.8-fold more β-carotene, whereas baby greens provided 183.6% more total ascorbic acid, 64.2% more total polyphenols and 170.3% higher hydrophilic antioxidant activity. Based on the culinary and phytonutritive scope of the consumers, different harvest maturity stages can be opted for and production schemes designed. Future studies are warranted to appraise the importance of ontogeny as a determinant factor for the composition and bioactive value of additional micro-herb genotypes, including underutilized Mediterranean species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sprouts, Microgreens and Edible Flowers as Novel Functional Foods)

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15 pages, 728 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Nutrient Supplementation Configures the Bioactive Profile and Production Characteristics of Three Brassica L. Microgreens Species Grown in Peat-Based Media

by Christophe El-Nakhel, Antonio Pannico, Giulia Graziani, Marios C. Kyriacou, Anna Gaspari, Alberto Ritieni, Stefania De Pascale and Youssef Rouphael

Agronomy 2021, 11(2), 346; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11020346 - 15 Feb 2021

Cited by 40 | Viewed by 4618

Abstract

Brassica L. microgreens are a fresh microscale vegetable crop of high antioxidant value and naturally dense in nutrients without the intervention of biofortification or genetic engineering. A climate chamber experiment on peat-based substrate was set up to test microgreens growth and accumulation of secondary metabolites in response to nutrient supplementation. Microgreens mineral content was analyzed through ion chromatography and total ascorbic acid through UV-Vis spectrophotometry, while carotenoids and phenolic acids were quantified by HPLC-DAD and UHPLC-HRMS, respectively. Brussels sprouts and cabbage yield was only reduced by 10%, while nitrate was reduced by 99% in the absence of nutrient supplementation. Rocket yield was prominently reduced by 47%, with a corresponding nitrate reduction of 118%. Brussels sprouts secondary metabolites were not improved by the absence of nutrient supplementation, whereas cabbage microgreens demonstrated a 30% increase in total ascorbic acid and a 12% increase in total anthocyanins. As for rocket, the absence of nutrient supplementation elicited an extensive increase in secondary metabolites, such as lutein (110%), β-carotene (30%), total ascorbic acid (58%) and total anthocyanins (20%), but caused a decrease in total phenolic acids. It is hereby demonstrated that growing microgreens on a commercial peat-based substrate without nutrient supplementation can be feasible for certain species. Moreover, it might elicit a species-dependent spike in bioactive secondary metabolites. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sprouts, Microgreens and Edible Flowers as Novel Functional Foods)

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17 pages, 1890 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Amelioration Effect of LED Lighting in the Bioactive Compounds Synthesis during Carrot Sprouting

by Lorena Martínez-Zamora, Noelia Castillejo, Perla A. Gómez and Francisco Artés-Hernández

Agronomy 2021, 11(2), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11020304 - 9 Feb 2021

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3426

Abstract

Background: This work investigates the morphological and compositional changes of carrots sprouts during 17 days at 20 °C. Methods: Growing conditions were 7 days in darkness (dD) followed by 3, 7, or 10 days of a 16 h light/8 h darkness photoperiod (dP). Light stimuli used were fluorescent light (Fl), Blue+Red (B+R), Blue+Red+Far-Red (B+R+FR) Light-Emitting Diodes—LEDs- and darkness as control. Results: Results showed that lighting conditions improved the total antioxidant activity and increased the bioactive compounds compared to darkness treatment. However, hypocotyl and sprout length were increased under darkness conditions. Both LEDs treatments (B+R and B+R+FR) increased the phenolic content (phenolic acids and rutin) by 45% and 65% compared to darkness and by 32% regarding Fl. Moreover, a similar trend was observed in the carotenoids content under B+R LEDs, but not when FR was added. Conclusions: Our results suggest that LED lighting during carrot sprouting improved the synthesis of health-promoting compounds. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sprouts, Microgreens and Edible Flowers as Novel Functional Foods)

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14 pages, 1886 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Growth and Ginsenosides Content of Ginseng Sprouts According to LED-Based Light Quality Changes

by Yoon-Jeong Kim, Thi Kim Loan Nguyen and Myung-Min Oh

Agronomy 2020, 10(12), 1979; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10121979 - 16 Dec 2020

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 4388

Abstract

This study investigated growth and ginsenosides content of ginseng sprouts under various light spectra. One-year-old ginseng seedlings were cultivated under various light treatments including: monochromatic (red (R), green (G), and blue (B)), various RB and RGB combinations, white (fluorescent lamps (FL) and natural white (NW)), and supplemental far red (FR). R and high R ratio increased growth characteristics of ginseng sprouts (excepted for root dry weight). The replacement of G for B in RGB group and W group did not increase the growth, and supplemental FR increased shoot and root fresh weights, total fresh weight, and leaf area. R had 1.5 times higher photosynthetic rate compared to B and G, and R₈G₁B₁ and R₉G₁B₀ showed the highest values in RGB group; whereas the RB, W, and FR groups did not enhance photosynthetic rate. B and high B ratio increased shoot saponin and ginsenosides, total saponin and ginsenosides contents. Total saponin content in shoot was 4.4 times higher than that in root. The supplemental FR enhanced both total saponin and ginsenosides contents. In conclusion, NW + FR showed the highest total fresh weight, saponin and ginsenosides contents among all treatments, suggesting that supplementation of FR has a positive effect on ginseng sprouts grown in plant factories. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sprouts, Microgreens and Edible Flowers as Novel Functional Foods)

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15 pages, 1898 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Sensory Attributes and Consumer Acceptability of 12 Microgreens Species

by Francesco Caracciolo, Christophe El-Nakhel, Maria Raimondo, Marios C. Kyriacou, Luigi Cembalo, Stefania De Pascale and Youssef Rouphael

Agronomy 2020, 10(7), 1043; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10071043 - 19 Jul 2020

Cited by 51 | Viewed by 7543

Abstract

Microgreens are gaining increasing recognition among consumers, acclaimed for their freshness and health promoting properties associated with densely fortified secondary metabolites. These immature greens enhance human diet and enrich it with sharp colors and flavors. While numerous species are being tested for agronomic and nutritional suitability, consumer acceptance of appearance, texture, and flavor is critical for the microgreens’ marketplace success. This study investigates whether sensory attributes and visual appearance affect consumer preference for microgreens and their willingness to consume them. By means of a consumer test, the sensory attributes of 12 microgreens species were evaluated, wherein a partial least squares structural equation model was developed to link sensorial attributes to willingness to eat the product. The results showed that although visual appearance of the microgreens was largely appreciated, consumer acceptance overall was mainly determined by flavor and texture. In particular, the lower the astringency, sourness, and bitterness, the higher the consumer acceptability of microgreens. Among the 12 examined species, mibuna and cress scored the lowest acceptance by consumers, while Swiss chard and coriander were the most appreciated, being therefore good candidates to be introduced in Western country markets. In addition, both Swiss chard and coriander have been identified by previous literature as good dietary source of phenolic antioxidants. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sprouts, Microgreens and Edible Flowers as Novel Functional Foods)

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18 pages, 2246 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Morphometric Characteristics, Polyphenols and Ascorbic Acid Variation in Brassica oleracea L. Novel Foods: Sprouts, Microgreens and Baby Leaves

by Maria Concetta Di Bella, Agnieszka Niklas, Stefania Toscano, Valentina Picchi, Daniela Romano, Roberto Lo Scalzo and Ferdinando Branca

Agronomy 2020, 10(6), 782; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10060782 - 31 May 2020

Cited by 41 | Viewed by 5697

Abstract

In the present study, we investigated the content and profile of polyphenols (PPH), ascorbic acid (AA), the Folin–Ciocalteu index (FCI), and antioxidant activity (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and peroxyl radical (ROO)) variation during three different plant growth stages (sprouts, microgreens and baby leaves) of two broccoli types, the traditional Sicilian sprouting broccoli landrace (‘Broccolo Nero’) and the broccoli standard (‘Cavolo broccolo Ramoso Calabrese’), and the standard commercial cultivar of kale (‘Cavolo Lacinato Nero di Toscana’). All biomasses collected were freeze-dried for PPH, AA, FCI, DPPH and ROO analysis. The highest polyphenol content was observed for ‘Broccolo Nero’ (BN) and ‘Cavolo Broccolo Ramoso Calabrese’ (CR), and generally sprouts showed significantly higher values compared to the microgreens and the baby leaves. The AA, FCI, DDPH and ROO significantly vary with regards to the cultivar and the plant growth stage, showing interaction between the two experimental factors analyzed. The interaction detected showed higher values for the antioxidant traits of the proposed novel food, especially for the two broccoli cultivars in the sprout growth stage in comparison to the microgreens and baby leaves. Our results suggest that the antioxidant activity is partially dependent on kaempferol and apigenin. The PPH compounds showed the highest values of kaempferol and apigenin for ‘Broccolo nero’, whereas for the other two cultivars studied, only kaempferol was the main compound represented. The data acquired are of interest for increasing the healthy traits of the novel food proposed showing the contribution offered by the neglected LRs until now underutilized and at risk of extinction. The germplasm conserved in several world genebanks could support and diversify the organic vegetable items, providing us with added-value products for organic food supply chains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sprouts, Microgreens and Edible Flowers as Novel Functional Foods)

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14 pages, 2654 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Salinity Stress on Phenylpropanoid Genes Expression and Related Gene Expression in Wheat Sprout

by Do Manh Cuong, Soon-Jae Kwon, Bao Van Nguyen, Se Won Chun, Jae Kwang Kim and Sang Un Park

Agronomy 2020, 10(3), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10030390 - 13 Mar 2020

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 4246

Abstract

The effect of salinity (NaCl treatment) on the nutritive value of wheat sprouts was investigated by analyzing the expression of phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway genes and the levels of phenylpropanoid compounds. Treatment with various concentrations of NaCl (50, 100, and 200 mM) resulted in increased epicatechin levels but decreased accumulation of catechin hydrate, benzoic acid, and quercetin compounds in the sprouts compared with the control (0 mM). The trans-cinnamic acid, 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, ferulic acid, epicatechin, and total phenylpropanoid level in wheat sprout was the highest at 50 mM of NaCl treatment. Six-day-old wheat plantlets exposed to 50 mM NaCl for 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h, showed that the total phenylpropanoids accumulation was the highest at 48 h after the treatment and most of the treatments showed higher phenylpropanoid content than the control at the same time points. Although the shoot and root length and the fresh weight of wheat sprouts decreased with NaCl treatment, these results suggest that treatment of 50 mM NaCl improves the nutritional quality of wheat sprouts, due to increased phenylpropanoid concentrations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sprouts, Microgreens and Edible Flowers as Novel Functional Foods)

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Review

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45 pages, 1271 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Sprouts and Microgreens: Trends, Opportunities, and Horizons for Novel Research

by Angelica Galieni, Beatrice Falcinelli, Fabio Stagnari, Alessandro Datti and Paolo Benincasa

Agronomy 2020, 10(9), 1424; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy10091424 - 19 Sep 2020

Cited by 96 | Viewed by 21498

Abstract

Sprouts and microgreens have attracted tremendous interest across multiple disciplines in recent years. Here, we critically review the most recent advances to underscore research prospects and niches, and related challenges, not yet addressed or fully pursued. In particular, we report a number of themes that merit special attention as a result of their relevance to plant science, nutrition, health, and zootechnics: (1) species not yet or inadequately investigated, such as wild plants, and fruit tree strains; (2) abiotic and biotic factors, and biostimulants, for elicitation strategies and metabolic engineering; (3) sanitization and processing technologies to obtain high-quality products; (4) digestive fate and impact of bioactive elements, antinutrients, and allergens on human nutrition; (5) experimental challenges to researching health benefits; (6) the opportunity to generate natural product libraries for drug discovery; and (7) sprouts in animal feeding to improve both animal health and the nutritional value of animal products for the human diet. The convergence of different themes involving interdisciplinary competencies advocate fascinating research pursuits, for example, the elicitation of metabolic variants to generate natural product collections for identification and selection of bioactive chemicals with a role as nutraceuticals, key constituents of functional foods, or interactive partners of specific drugs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sprouts, Microgreens and Edible Flowers as Novel Functional Foods)

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