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Over two billion people worldwide suffer from micronutrient deficiencies. Biofortifying vegetables can enhance micronutrient intake through the diet. This study assessed the biofortification of indoor-grown baby-leaf lettuce using aeroponics. Four experiments, two each, were conducted by adding different concentrations of Zn (from 10 to 450 µM) or Cu (from 3 to 250 µM) into a nutrient solution. A fifth experiment was conducted by simultaneously adding to the nutrient solution the optimal concentration of I (5 µM) and Se (13 µM), chosen on the basis of previous works, and the optimal concentration of Zn (250 µM) and Cu (150 µM), chosen on the basis of the results obtained in the first four experiments. Leaf biomass, mineral concentrations, chlorophylls, carotenoids, phenols, flavonoids, nitrates, and antioxidant capacity were measured 21 days after transplanting. Higher concentrations of Cu, Zn, I, or Se in the nutrient solution led to an increase in their concentrations in lettuce leaves, without affecting the growth or leaf quality of lettuce plants. The simultaneous application of I with the other elements induced a higher accumulation in leaves compared to when I is applied alone. One hundred grams of lettuce leaves biofortified with Se, I, Cu, and Zn would provide the 6.1%, 35.3%, and 263.0% of Adequate Intake for Cu, Se, and I, respectively, and 4.5% of Population Reference Intake for Zn. Our results suggest that simultaneously biofortifying baby-leaf lettuce with these four minerals is a practical and convenient way to integrate these micronutrients into the diet without reducing the yield or quality of lettuce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomatoes are globally renowned for their nutritional value and culinary versatility. However, environmental stresses, particularly salinity, present significant challenges to tomato production, impacting both yield and fruit quality. In light of these challenges, this study investigates the effect of salinity on yield and fruit quality of a local cultivar tomato named 'Pisanello' in a closed soilless rockwool cultivation system. Total yield, fruit size, and number were investigated in both control (10 mM of NaCl) and salinity-treated plants (salinity 1 (S1)~30 mM of NaCl and salinity 2 (S2)~60 mM of NaCl), alongside various physicochemical parameters in fully ripened tomato fruits. The results indicated a decrease in crop production with rising sodium chloride concentration in the nutrient solution (25% and 41% for S1 and S2 treatment, respectively). Conversely, salinity-treated fruits exhibited an increase in total phenolic content of +21.9% in S1 and +36.7% in S2 and in antioxidant capacity (+33.5% and +34.7%, for the S1 and S2 treatments, respectively). Salinity treatments registered in general higher quality parameters such as titratable acidity (+8.9 for S1 and +16.5% for S2), total soluble solids (+18.5% for S1 and +43.0% for S2) and fruit firmness (+30.7% for S1 and +60.3% for S2) in comparison with control tomato fruits. Sensory profile analysis further validated the preference for fresh consumption of tomato fruits grown with saline water. These findings suggests that salinity stress can enhance the nutritional quality and taste of the Pisanello tomato. Further investigation could explore the optimal NaCl concentration to balance tomato production and nutritional quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing interest in functional foods is driven by the exploration of new foods with positive health effects. Pleasant sensory features are essential for consumer acceptance. In this work, we investigated the composition of the bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and aroma profiles of four edible flowers: Cucurbita moschata Duchesne, Dianthus chinensis L., Fuchsia regia (Vand. ex Vell.) Munz., and Viola cornuta L. For the first time, we quantified the water-soluble group of B vitamins. Significant variations in the content of soluble sugars, vitamins, and secondary metabolites were observed. V. cornuta showed the highest concentration of vitamin C and carotenoids, while C. moschata had the highest content of vitamin B and flavonoids. F. regia stood out for its exceptionally high content of total phenolics, while D. chinensis surpassed the other flowers in soluble sugar content. The aroma profile analysis revealed a diverse array of volatile organic compounds, with each species having its own unique composition. C. moschata was characterized by p-dimethoxybenzene and D. chinensis by non-terpene compounds; F. regia displayed high amounts of decanal and nonanal, while V. cornuta was rich in myrcene and α-farnesene. These findings provide valuable insights into the secondary metabolites and aroma profiles of these flowers, enhancing our understanding of their bioactive compounds and potential health benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gerbera is a very important plant widely grown for cut flowers. To check the influence of salinity and boron excess in nutrient solution, nine treatments as factorial combination of three sodium chloride (NaCl) (1, 15 and 30 mM) and three boron (B) (0.1, 1 and 2 mM) concentrations in the nutrient solution were applied during the gerbera cultivation. The effects of experimental treatments on gerbera growth, flowering and the interaction in morphological and nutritional aspects were tested. The formation of leaves, stems and flowers, flower dry mass and evapotranspiration (ET) were more negatively affected when plants were irrigated with 2 mM B than with 0.1 mM B concentration. High levels of boron (1 and 2 Mm) in nutrient solution resulted in leaf chlorosis and necrosis. The severity of leaf burn was correlated with leaf B content. Salinity acted as a protector against boron content in leaves and flowers at 1 Mm B. However, at the 2 Mm B in nutrient solution, leaf B accumulation was not reduced by the presence of NaCl but also increased with the increased levels of salinity. The external levels of boron used in this study, which were found to be the highest in the literature, and the high sensitivity of gerbera to boron, suggested that boron acted as the dominant factor. Lower external boron concentrations would be needed to establish to what extent salinity would be able to mitigate the negative effects of boron.

The post-harvest techniques are the most critical point to ensure the quality of edible flowers (EFs) and to keep the bioactive metabolites available for human nutrition. The different species of EFs also represent a problem in improving their consumption with safety. The present study focused on the description of the effects of the commonly used drying treatments in the phytonutritional composition of four species of EFs, Callianthe megapotamica, Callianthe striata, Nemesia strumosa and Salvia elegans. The bioactive metabolites and antioxidant activity were determined after freeze-drying (FD) and hot-air-drying (HA) treatments in comparison to fresh flowers. All EFs showed different mineral/trace compositions with potassium as the main element and 70–86% water loss. Both post-harvest treatments increased all the metabolites and antioxidant activity in each species. C. striata with FD treatment had the highest content of primary and secondary metabolites. N. strumosa has the highest ascorbic acid content with the HA treatment. All species had significant antioxidant activity, increasing with FD for C. striata while HA is more recommended for the other species. The post-harvest techniques are able to preserve and increase the bioactive metabolites and must be chosen according to each EF species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scarcity of water for different uses has created a need for using nonconventional water resources, such as wastewater and saline water. Their use could contribute to reduced water resource consumption in arid areas and biosphere contamination. Wastewaters are normally unbalanced solutions rich in sodium (Na+), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+), sulfate (SO42−), and chloride (Cl−), which can cause damages to crops, but if they are treated, their quality can increase. The aim of this trial was to study the effects of pure, diluted, sand-filter depurated, and phytodepurated wastewater from municipal solid waste (MSW) leachates, compared with groundwater on the nutritional state of the ornamental plantViolaspp. The experimental design was unifactorial (type of irrigation water). Five treatments were tested: R9.0 [wastewater, electrical conductivity (EC) 9.0 dS m−1], R4.5 (wastewater, EC 4.5 dS m−1), D4.5 (depurated water, EC 4.5 dS m−1), FD4.5 (phytodepurated water, EC 4.5 dS m−1), and P (groundwater, EC 1.5 dS m−1). Nutrient (Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Mg2+) concentrations and partitioning per fraction (flowers, aerial vegetative fraction, including stems and leaves [called AVF], and roots) were studied. Similar total Na+extractions were found in the 4.5 dS m−1treatments, being greater than in the 9.0 dS m−1treatment, all of the surpassing the control. Nevertheless, there were Na+partitioning per fraction differences depending on Na+concentration. Total K+extraction was the greatest in FD4.5, related with its greater root concentration. Potassium was mainly located in AVF, followed by flowers. Calcium and Mg2+extractions showed a similar behavior. The greatest Ca2+extraction was noticed in control plants, which is related with Ca2+accumulation in roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

lthough the physiological and molecular mechanisms of flower development and senescence have been extensively investigated, a whole-flower partitioning study of mineral concentrations has not been carried out. In this work, the distribution of sucrose, total reducing sugars, dry and fresh weight and macro and micronutrients were analysed in Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. petals, stylestigma including stamens and ovary at different developmental stages (bud, open and senescent flowers). Total reducing sugars showed the highest value in petals of bud flowers, then fell during the later stages of flower development whereas sucrose showed the highest value in petals of senescent flowers. In petals, nitrogen and phosphorus content increased during flower opening, then nitrogen level decreased in senescent flowers. The calcium, phosphorus and boron concentrations were highest in ovary tissues whatever the developmental stage. Overall, the data presented suggests that the high level of total reducing sugars prior the onset of flower opening contributes to support petal cells expansion, while the high amount of sucrose at the time of petal wilting may be viewed as a result of senescence. Furthermore, this study discusses how the accumulation of particular mineral nutrients can be considered in a tissue specific manner for the activation of processes directly connected with reproduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]