From salt pan to saucepan: Salicornia, a halophytic vegetable with an array of potential health benefits

Abstract

Domestication of novel crops from the wild is a key process that ensures food security by addressing adaptability to changing environments. These wild plants offer broader and unique health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Salinization resulted in a drastic reduction of arable land and freshwater intended for cultivation. Thus, the global food production is currently under a risk of meeting the demands. Salt‐tolerant plants (i.e., halophytes) are potential food candidates that can be used to increase the productivity of salinized land and also to enhance the diversification of food production. Salicornia can survive under hypersaline and extreme climatic conditions and deliver tender shoots and dried seeds that can be used as a food with a unique taste, texture, and therapeutic benefits. Although Salicornia is not equally popular among all the food cultures globally, it has been consumed over centuries, and it is now making its way to the shelves of supermarkets in some countries such as the United States, UAE, South Korea, and Mexico. Despite being an underutilized crop, Salicornia possesses an array of chemical compounds or basic derivatives that can enhance antioxidant, anti‐obesity, antidiabetes, anti‐inflammatory, cardioprotective, and neuroprotective properties of human nutrition. The presence of considerable amounts of nutritional elements and various functional bioactive phytochemicals have opened up avenues of using Salicornia as a functional food. The present paper reviews the recognition of Salicornia as a functional food and a potential cash crop in saline agriculture to enhance agricultural productivity and also to diversify the current food supply chain.

Bioactive Extracts from Salicornia ramosissima J. Woods Biorefinery as a Source of Ingredients for High-Value Industries

“…The importance of S. ramosissima as a commercial vegetable is increasing due to its organoleptic properties, including crunchy texture, slightly salty taste, and nutritional and functional properties. It is considered a reliable substitute for salt (NaCl) and, therefore, a promising functional ingredient to prevent cardiovascular diseases with appropriate levels of protein, dietary fibre, and minerals [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ].…”

Salicornia as a salt-tolerant crop: potential for addressing climate change challenges and sustainable agriculture development

“…Salinization, or the rise in saline content throughout the environment, poses a major liability to industrial agriculture in many regions of the world, leading to the degradation of arable lands at an alarming rate (Ekanayake et al, 2023). Saline deposition caused by saltwater intrusion in coastline groundwater sources may worsen due to climate change, leading to limited soil fertility and agricultural output (Calone et al, 2022).…”

“…Cárdenas-Pérez et al (2021) have identified 64 species of Salicornia, with the most common being S. brachiata, S. arabica, S. europaea, S. fruticosa L., S. ramosissima, S. herbacea, and S. bigelvolii. The word "Salicornia" is inspired by the Latin words "sal" meaning "salt" and "cornu" meaning "a horn" due to being a saline vegetation with spiked tendrils (Ekanayake et al, 2023). Singh et al (2014) state that Salicornia typically develops to a length of 25 to 35 cm and has moist, flexible scaly foliage and horn-like terminal plantlets.…”

Chemical Characterization and Biotechnological Potential of Bioactive Compounds in Salicornia neei Lag.

“…In this context, functional foods are dietary components that offer health benefits beyond their basic nutrition. The growing interest in functional foods has driven a new market strategy for halophyte plants which exhibit distinct and conserved metabolic responses compared to conventional plants [4]. These responses are justified by their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities, making them ideal sources of bioactive molecules [5].…”