Soybean sprouts, a nutritional food product, can contribute to food security because they can be grown within a week and do not require sophisticated technology. The yield and quality of soybean sprouts are influenced by various factors, including seed priming and growing conditions. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of seed soaking in different concentrations of illite, a clay mineral, on the yield and quality of soybean sprouts. Soybean seeds soaked in five concentrations (0.5%, 1%, 3%, 5%, and 10%, w/v) of illite or tap water for 8 h were named IP-0.5, IP-1, IP3, IP-5, IP-10, and control, respectively. The highest sprout yield was found in IP-3, followed by IP-1, and IP-5, which had 11.1%, 8.8%, and 7.4% increments, respectively, compared to the control. The content of vitamin C, mineral element, isoflavone, total polyphenol, and total flavonoid was higher in many of the illite-treated soybean sprouts than in the control. The overall results indicated that pre-soaking soybean seeds in lower concentrations (0.5−3%, w/v) of illite could be helpful to enhance the yield and nutritional value of soybean sprouts in an easy and inexpensive way.

Carrot (Daucus carota L.) is an economically important vegetable crop that contains several healthpromoting phytochemicals. Carrot seed extracts help in cardio-protection, muscle contraction regulation, regulating the total cholesterol and triglyceride high-density lipoprotein and very-low-density lipoproteins. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of carrot seed priming with different concentrations of illite solution. Although the yield of carrot sprouts was not significantly increased, the concentration of total mineral and total free amino acid of a few sprout samples were raised with illite treatment. Furthermore, the content of functional amino acids like γ-amino-n-butyric acid was improved in the illite-treated carrot sprouts. The results showed that illite treatment could offer a good option to enhance the quality of carrot sprouts.

Radish (Raphanus sativus L.), a member of the cruciferous vegetable family, has been used as a medicinal food for a number of ailments. Radish contains a wide variety of phytochemicals that show antioxidative, antimutagenic, antiproliferative properties and functions in the induction of detoxification enzymes. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of illite treatment on the yield and nutrient value of radish sprouts. The yield, color appearance, and total mineral content of many of the illite-applied radish sprouts were improved compared to the control. Overall, lower concentrations of illite were found to be more appropriate to enhance the yield and nutritional values of radish sprouts.