Abstract
Microgreens are young and tender leafy vegetables that have gained wider consumer acceptance. This is attributed to their low caloric composition and rich micronutrient and antioxidant composition. The present study investigated the bioactive composition and proximate analysis of fourteen microgreens belonging to Brassicaceae, Fabaceae, Pedaliaceae, Polygonaceae, Convolvulaceae, and Malvaceae. All the microgreens showed low calories (20.22 to 53.43 kcal 100 g−1) and fat (0.15 to 0.66 g 100 g−1), whilst mung bean and lentil microgreens showed considerable amounts of carbohydrate (7.16 g 100 g−1) and protein (6.47 g 100 g−1), respectively. Lentil microgreens had the highest total chlorophyll (112.62 mg 100 g−1) and carotenoid (28.37 mg 100 g−1) contents, whilst buckwheat microgreens showed the highest total phenolic content (268.99 mg GAE 100 g−1) and DPPH• scavenging activity (90.83 mM TEAC g−1). The lentil microgreens also presented high ascorbic acid content (128.70 mg 100 g−1) along with broccoli, Chinese kale, purple radish, and red cabbage microgreens (79.11, 81.33, 82.58, and 89.49 mg 100 g−1, respectively). Anthocyanin content was only detected in purple radish (0.148 mg CGE 100 g−1) and red cabbage (0.246 mg CGE 100 g−1). The results provide basic information and highlight the benefits of utilizing genetic biodiversity to obtain microgreens with the desired nutrients and antioxidants.
Highlights
In recent years, the attention towards microgreens is increasing due to the rise in public awareness of healthy eating worldwide
Microgreens can be cultivated in loose and soilless germination media and harvested 7–21 days after germination when the cotyledon leaves have fully developed and the first true leaves have emerged [2]. These miniature greens are valued as nutraceuticals and functional foods owing to their health-promoting and disease-preventing properties in addition to their nutritional value
Broccoli sprouts and microgreens have higher contents of bioactive compounds and potential antioxidants and exhibit higher anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities compared to their corresponding adult plants [3,4]
Summary
The attention towards microgreens is increasing due to the rise in public awareness of healthy eating worldwide. Microgreens can be cultivated in loose and soilless germination media and harvested 7–21 days after germination (species-dependent) when the cotyledon leaves have fully developed and the first true leaves have emerged [2]. These miniature greens are valued as nutraceuticals and functional foods owing to their health-promoting and disease-preventing properties in addition to their nutritional value. The changes include the synthesis of biochemical compounds that affect germination, causing the amount of nutrients such as vitamins and antioxidants to increase rapidly. These nutrients and antioxidants all are beneficial to the human body as they can be absorbed quickly [6]
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