Abstract
Micro/baby-greens are gaining popularity in human diets as functional foods that deliver superior nutritional values and health benefits to consumers. This study conducted multiple times between 2017 and 2019 under greenhouse conditions and in the field at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA, showed that micro/baby-greens from tropical spinach (Amaranthus sp.) and roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L.) are rich in digestible carbohydrates, digestible protein, and dietary fiber. On dry weight basis, both vegetables have high relative percentages of P, K, and Mg; and relatively high ppm Fe, Mn, and Zn. Foliage tissues of both species are relatively low in total fat, Ca, and Cu. Between 10 and 20 days after sowing (DAS), percent digestible carbohydrates in fresh foliar tissue increased 100% in tropical spinach and 50% in roselle, while digestible protein dropped 21% in tropical spinach and 50% in roselle. Compared to field grown mature foliage, greenhouse-grown micro/baby-greens were lower in digestible carbohydrates and Ca but higher in digestible protein, P, K, Mg, Fe, Mn, and Zn.
Highlights
Microgreens, called “vegetable confetti” [1], belong to the group of plant foods classified as “functional foods” because they possess particular health promoting or disease preventing properties that are additional to their normal nutritional value [2] Morphologically, microgreens are plant seedlings that are between the cotyledonary and the first fully formed primary leaf stages of growth [1]
Proximate analysis showed that both digestible carbohydrates and protein changed significantly in the tropical spinach micro/baby-green between 10 and 20 days after sowing (DAS)
While the percent digestible carbohydrates doubled from 12.5% to 25% during the 10-day period between 10 and 20 DAS, the digestible protein decreased from 35% to 27% over the same period
Summary
Microgreens, called “vegetable confetti” [1], belong to the group of plant foods classified as “functional foods” because they possess particular health promoting or disease preventing properties that are additional to their normal nutritional value [2] Morphologically, microgreens are plant seedlings that are between the cotyledonary and the first fully formed primary (true) leaf stages of growth [1]. Air, and food reserves in the seed cotyledons (for dicot plants) or endosperm (for monocots) to germinate, emerge from the seed (or grain), and grow; in addition to these elements, microgreens need light for photosynthesis and nutrients from the growth media. Microgreens rely on the food reserves in the sprout as well as nutrients in the growth media and light for photosynthesis to support the initial stages of metabolism needed to provide energy for subsequent vigorous growth of the microgreen, baby green, and the mature plant. The microgreens quite closely reflect the nutrient density of the sprout from which they are derived
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