Selenium Biofortification of Three Wild Species, <i>Rumex acetosa</i> L., <i>Plantago coronopus</i> L., and <i>Portulaca oleracea</i> L., Grown as Microgreens
2021
Martina Puccinelli | Beatrice Pezzarossa | Lucia Pintimalli | Fernando Malorgio
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, <i>Rumex acetosa</i> L., <i>Plantago coronopus</i> L., and <i>Portulaca oleracea</i> L., were suitable for biofortification in order to obtain products with high nutraceutical value. In the first experiment, the three species were enriched with Na<sub>2</sub>SeO<sub>4</sub> at 0 and 1.5 mg Se L<sup>−1</sup>, and the effects of Se on the nutraceutical characteristics of microgreens were evaluated. In the second experiment, using <i>P. oleracea</i> enriched with 0, 1.5, 5, and 10 mg Se L<sup>−1</sup>, 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. <i>P. coronopus</i> 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 <i>P. oleracea</i> 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.
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