Abstract
The present study addressed the combination of nutritional and sensory quality assessment of radish and garden cress as microgreens cultivated in different amounts of mineral nutrients under conditions that can be realized in a private household. The content of value adding compounds was determined by means of chemical analyses. Total flavor impression and visual appearance were rated by untrained consumer tests. In cotyledons of radish cress (Raphanus sativus L.), carotenoid, total phenols, nitrate contents, and antioxidant capacity decreased significantly with decreasing mineral content in the nutrient solution, whereas, in stems, total phenols and anthocyanin contents rose and nitrate content decreased significantly with decreasing mineral content. In garden cress (Lepidium sativum L.), carotenoid and nitrate contents decreased and anthocyanin content increased significantly with decreasing mineral content, indicating that the response of value adding compounds to changing amounts of minerals in the nutrient solution depends on the compound of interest, plant species, and even the plant organ of a species. The sensory quality of the studied microgreens was generally rated highest when mineral content in the nutrient solution was highest, indicating that sensory quality is not necessarily identical with nutritional quality. Considering the common practice in private households, cultivation with tap water represents an attractive compromise for nutritional and sensory quality in case of garden cress, whereas, for radish cress, the application of 25% modified Hoagland solution is recommended.
Highlights
As microgreens may serve vegetables, and herbs and grains, they are best harvested when the first pair of true leaves develops [1]
Size had an obvious impact on the perception of the untrained consumers (Tables 14 and 16), but the example of the radish cress indicated that the differences in size and cotyledon appearance negatively affected the general visual appearance, but only to a minor extent
When comparing radish cress with garden cress, it stands to reason that the untrained consumers were willing to accept size differences and rated the visual appearance mainly based on the color impression, which is frequently used as an indicator of product freshness [43]
Summary
As microgreens may serve vegetables, and herbs and grains, they are best harvested when the first pair of true leaves develops [1]. Microgreens may be confused with sprouts but are eaten without the roots and are frequently able to develop larger, more tasty leaves [2]. Both microgreens and sprouts are consumed for their slightly sour, spicy, or bitter flavors and are recommended for their secondary metabolites [3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10]: chlorophylls, carotenoids, ascorbic acid, tocopherols, and phenolic compounds. Authors usually favor a 25% [5,12,17,20,21] or 50% Hoagland solution [22,23]. Palmitessa et al [24] investigated the different effects of fertilization with 50%, 25%, and 12.5% modified Hoagland solution on Brassica oleracea L. var. italica
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