Nutritional value of Sarcocornia perennis sp. cultivated under an integrated multitrophic aquaculture (IMTA) system

The halophyte Sarcocornia perennis sp. is a perennial shrub growing in extreme salt conditions, has a good nutritional value and a very much appreciated salty taste and therefore, has a high potential as a fresh vegetable crop to be used in gourmet cuisine, similar to Salicornia. Cuttings of S. perennis sp. were cultivated in greenhouse conditions, in an IMTA system at different salinities. Aerial edible parts were harvested in summer, autumn and spring, and evaluated for proximate composition. Methanol extracts were prepared from dried biomass and profiled for antioxidant activity by the ABTS and DPPH assays, and for phenolic composition, by HPLC-DAD. Plant survival and productivity were also determined. Productivity decreased with the harvests and with increasing irrigation salinity. HPLC analysis identified 30 compounds mainly hydroxybenzoic acids (gallic and salicylic acids), hydroxycinnamic acids (chlorogenic and ferulic acids) and flavonoids (epicatechin). The radical scavenging activity on ABTS and DPPH were similar (EC₅₀<9 mg/mL), and the proximate composition showed variable values with salinity and harvests. Our results suggest that S. perennis could be further explored as a source of nutrients and polyphenolic enriched extracts with antioxidant properties to be used in the food industry.

Funding This work received Portuguese national funds from FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology through projects UIDB/04326/2020, UIDP/04326/2020, UIDB/00100/2020 and UIDP/00100/2020, LA/P/0056/2020

and LA/P/0101/2020, the PhD grants (UI/BD/151301/2121: EF; 2020.04541.BD: VCL), FCT program contract (UIDP/04326/2020: MJR) and FCT Scientific Employment Stimulus (CEECIND/00425/2017: LC).

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Artikel online veröffentlicht:
16. November 2023