Abstract
The recent market trends for functional healthy foods have rekindled the interest in wild edible species and created a market niche for high added value products. The current supply, mainly supported by plants collected from the wild, cannot meet increasing market needs; therefore, it is of major importance to establish cropping protocols and further valorize wild plants for culinary and industrial applications. Sea fennel is a wild edible halophyte that is an important ingredient in local cuisines and is also used in folk medicine for its beneficial health effects. Its valorization has not been commercially explored on a great scale and more efforts are needed to integrate the species in farming systems. The present review compiles the most recent reports regarding the farming practices that could allow for the establishment of cultivation protocols for farmers, while the main constraints that hinder the further exploitation of the species are also presented. Moreover, this review presents the most up-to-date information regarding the chemical composition (e.g., chemical composition of the aerial parts and volatile compounds in essential oils) and the health-related effects of various plant parts (e.g., antimicrobial, insecticidal and anticholinesterase activities) aiming to reveal possible alternative uses that will increase the added value of the species and will contribute to its commercial exploitation. Finally, the future remarks and the guidelines that have to be followed are also discussed.
Highlights
Introduction published maps and institutional affilRock samphire or sea fennel (Crithmum maritimum L.) is a perennial halophyte that belongs to the family Apiaceae and is naturally grown in coastal areas of the Mediterranean region and the Atlantic Ocean [1,2,3]
In a greenhouse experiment conducted by Kostoula et al [71], it was found that the symbiosis of sea fennel with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices or the plant growth promoting bacterium Bacillus amyloliquefaciens improved plant growth, while the co-inoculation with both microorganisms gave the best results
In another study conducted in Israel, it was found that sea fennel genotypes may differ in salt tolerance [73]
Summary
The ongoing climate change or climate crisis combined with land degradation and the ever-increasing world population necessitate the adoption of novel farming approaches within the concept of sustainability [32]. The introduction of novel and resilient-toenvironmental-adversities species offers a viable option to farmers, while, at the same time, providing food products of high added value and improved quality [32] In this context, saline agriculture may increase the available agricultural land through the exploitation of salinized soils and groundwater aquifers that are not appropriate for conventional crops [39]. According to Ciccarelli [30], sea fennel exhibits high resistance to drought stress due to the high water capacity of leaves, which is an important feature considering the impact of climate change on irrigation water availability Another aspect related to the adaptation mechanisms of sea fennel is the presence of endophytic bacteria that may provide protection against abiotic and biotic stressors [58]. A study by Labidi et al [59] highlighted the importance of the insensitiveness of the species to changes in P availability under moderate salinity, a feature that is essential for plant growth under harsh conditions and allows the colonization of specific areas
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