Nutritional quality and health benefits of microgreens, a crop of modern agriculture

Zhang, Yanqi; Xiao, Zhenlei; Ager, Emily; Kong, Lingyan

doi:10.1016/j.jfutfo.2021.07.001

Cited by 111 publications

(76 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…capitata), sorrel (Rumex acetosa), and peppercress (Lepidium bonariense), in general, receive a low consumer acceptability score [22,39]. However, rich content in minerals, vitamins, phenolics, and antioxidant activity can also be found in species of more acceptable tastes, such as amaranth, coriander, and Swiss chard [22,25,37,45,69,70]. As shown with the above examples, identifying microgreen species that satisfy both sensory and health attributes at a high degree remains a challenge since acrid taste's acceptability is subject to both inherited and acquired taste factors [22].…”

Section: Consumer Acceptance Of Sprouts and Microgreens And Nutrition...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other factors that may impact the nutritional quality of microscale vegetables are the environment in which they are grown, the selected illumination, substrates used, nutrient biofortification, and salinity stress. On the other hand, packaging methods and storage temperature help retain nutrients and phytochemicals [37]. All these factors may influence microscale vegetables' photosynthetic and metabolic activities and may improve nutritional quality, depending on the crop/species and genotype used.…”

Section: Environmental and Priming Factors That Have An Impact On The...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The stem, cotyledons, and first true leaves are consumed. Microgreens have been produced in Southern California since the 1980s [36,37] and have since gained popularity due to their vivid colors (like red and purple), delicate textures, and flavorenhancing properties. They are used as garnishes in salads, sandwiches, soups, appetizers, desserts, and drinks [19] and are highly appreciated because of their nutritional benefits [21][22][23][24][25][26].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They are used as garnishes in salads, sandwiches, soups, appetizers, desserts, and drinks [19] and are highly appreciated because of their nutritional benefits [21][22][23][24][25][26]. In vitro and in vivo research studies have demonstrated microgreens' anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, and anti-hyperglycemic properties, further strengthening their attractiveness as a new functional food that is beneficial to human health (see, e.g., review by Zhang et al [37]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sprouts and Microgreens—Novel Food Sources for Healthy Diets

Ebert

2022

Plants

115

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With the growing interest of society in healthy eating, the interest in fresh, ready-to-eat, functional food, such as microscale vegetables (sprouted seeds and microgreens), has been on the rise in recent years globally. This review briefly describes the crops commonly used for microscale vegetable production, highlights Brassica vegetables because of their health-promoting secondary metabolites (polyphenols, glucosinolates), and looks at consumer acceptance of sprouts and microgreens. Apart from the main crops used for microscale vegetable production, landraces, wild food plants, and crops’ wild relatives often have high phytonutrient density and exciting flavors and tastes, thus providing the scope to widen the range of crops and species used for this purpose. Moreover, the nutritional value and content of phytochemicals often vary with plant growth and development within the same crop. Sprouted seeds and microgreens are often more nutrient-dense than ungerminated seeds or mature vegetables. This review also describes the environmental and priming factors that may impact the nutritional value and content of phytochemicals of microscale vegetables. These factors include the growth environment, growing substrates, imposed environmental stresses, seed priming and biostimulants, biofortification, and the effect of light in controlled environments. This review also touches on microgreen market trends. Due to their short growth cycle, nutrient-dense sprouts and microgreens can be produced with minimal input; without pesticides, they can even be home-grown and harvested as needed, hence having low environmental impacts and a broad acceptance among health-conscious consumers.

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Section: Consumer Acceptance Of Sprouts and Microgreens And Nutrition...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Environmental and Priming Factors That Have An Impact On The...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Sprouts and Microgreens—Novel Food Sources for Healthy Diets

Ebert

2022

Plants

115

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“…Microgreens are a class of specialty crop, which includes edible seedlings of vegetables, ornamental species, and herbs that are harvested after the cotyledons have fully developed, either before or directly after the first true leaves have appeared [1,2]. Starting twenty years ago as fashionable, high-value ingredients for high-end restaurants, today microgreens have gained increasing popularity among consumers due to their sensorial characteristics, high nutrients, and health-promoting phytochemical concentrations even superior to their corresponding mature plants [2,3]. Moreover, the cultivation of microgreens is extremely versatile.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Inclusion of Green Light in a Red and Blue Light Background Impact the Growth and Functional Quality of Vegetable and Flower Microgreen Species

et al. 2022

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Microgreens are edible seedlings of vegetables and flowers species which are currently considered among the five most profitable crops globally. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have shown great potential for plant growth, development, and synthesis of health-promoting phytochemicals with a more flexible and feasible spectral manipulation for microgreen production in indoor farms. However, research on LED lighting spectral manipulation specific to microgreen production, has shown high variability in how these edible seedlings behave regarding their light environmental conditions. Hence, developing species-specific LED light recipes for enhancement of growth and valuable functional compounds is fundamental to improve their production system. In this study, various irradiance levels and wavelengths of light spectrum produced by LEDs were investigated for their effect on growth, yield, and nutritional quality in four vegetables (chicory, green mizuna, china rose radish, and alfalfa) and two flowers (french marigold and celosia) of microgreens species. Microgreens were grown in a controlled environment using sole-source light with different photosynthetic photon flux density (110, 220, 340 µmol m−2 s−1) and two different spectra (RB: 65% red, 35% blue; RGB: 47% red, 19% green, 34% blue). At harvest, the lowest level of photosynthetically active photon flux (110 µmol m−2 s−1) reduced growth and decreased the phenolic contents in almost all species. The inclusion of green wavelengths under the highest intensity showed positive effects on phenolic accumulation. Total carotenoid content and antioxidant capacity were in general enhanced by the middle intensity, regardless of spectral combination. Thus, this study indicates that the inclusion of green light at an irradiance level of 340 µmol m−2 s−1 in the RB light environment promotes the growth (dry weight biomass) and the accumulation of bioactive phytochemicals in the majority of the microgreen species tested.

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A systematic review exploring the variation in the compositional make‐up and phytochemical constituents of wheatgrass and pulse microgreens as a function of diverse growing condition

Kumar,

Singh

2024

eFood

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The wheatgrass and pulse microgreens have gained popularity for their concentrated phytochemical content. However, the variability in growth parameters and compositional constituents of wheatgrass and pulse microgreens is dependent on the prevailing environmental conditions. Nowadays, wheatgrass and pulse microgreens are used as culinary sources or incorporated into various food products and consumed by a large proportion of the global population. Therefore, it is necessary to review the impact of growth conditions to meet the increased demand. This will allow breeders to adjust their cultivation techniques according to consumer preferences for specific nutritional components. This systematic review seeks to provide an analysis of the available literature on the variation in growth and compositions of wheatgrass and pulse microgreens as the influence of diverse growing conditions. The growth of wheatgrass and pulse microgreens can be influenced by a range of growth conditions, such as variations in light intensity, temperature, nutrient availability, and cultivation techniques. The variation in growth and compositional components, in terms of proximate composition and certain constituents such as chlorophyll, antioxidants, minerals, phenolic compounds, and secondary metabolites, is discussed in relation to the changing cultivation parameters as published in recent studies. However, this review only covers the compositional make‐up of wheatgrass and pulse microgreens. There remains a need to summarize the compositional profiles of other microgreen species under various conditions. Ultimately, this review illuminates the promise of emerging superfoods and underscores how their growth and composition can vary depending on cultivation methods, ultimately impacting their capacity to promote health. In addition, there is a need to establish dose–response relationships to address various diseases. Therefore, additional research may be warranted.

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Nutritional quality and health benefits of microgreens, a crop of modern agriculture

Cited by 111 publications

References 78 publications

Sprouts and Microgreens—Novel Food Sources for Healthy Diets

Sprouts and Microgreens—Novel Food Sources for Healthy Diets

The Inclusion of Green Light in a Red and Blue Light Background Impact the Growth and Functional Quality of Vegetable and Flower Microgreen Species

A systematic review exploring the variation in the compositional make‐up and phytochemical constituents of wheatgrass and pulse microgreens as a function of diverse growing condition

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