Prospects of microgreens as budding living functional food: Breeding and biofortification through OMICS and other approaches for nutritional security

Abstract

Nutrient deficiency has resulted in impaired growth and development of the population globally. Microgreens are considered immature greens (required light for photosynthesis and growing medium) and developed from the seeds of vegetables, legumes, herbs, and cereals. These are considered “living superfood/functional food” due to the presence of chlorophyll, beta carotene, lutein, and minerals like magnesium (Mg), Potassium (K), Phosphorus (P), and Calcium (Ca). Microgreens are rich at the nutritional level and contain several phytoactive compounds (carotenoids, phenols, glucosinolates, polysterols) that are helpful for human health on Earth and in space due to their anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-carcinogenic properties. Microgreens can be used as plant-based nutritive vegetarian foods that will be fruitful as a nourishing constituent in the food industryfor garnish purposes, complement flavor, texture, and color to salads, soups, flat-breads, pizzas, and sandwiches (substitute to lettuce in tacos, sandwich, burger). Good handling practices may enhance microgreens’stability, storage, and shelf-life under appropriate conditions, including light, temperature, nutrients, humidity, and substrate. Moreover, the substrate may be a nutritive liquid solution (hydroponic system) or solid medium (coco peat, coconut fiber, coir dust and husks, sand, vermicompost, sugarcane filter cake, etc.) based on a variety of microgreens. However integrated multiomics approaches alongwith nutriomics and foodomics may be explored and utilized to identify and breed most potential microgreen genotypes, biofortify including increasing the nutritional content (macro-elements:K, Ca and Mg; oligo-elements: Fe and Zn and antioxidant activity) and microgreens related other traits viz., fast growth, good nutritional values, high germination percentage, and appropriate shelf-life through the implementation of integrated approaches includes genomics, transcriptomics, sequencing-based approaches, molecular breeding, machine learning, nanoparticles, and seed priming strategiesetc.

Factors Affecting Production, Nutrient Translocation Mechanisms, and LED Emitted Light in Growth of Microgreen Plants in Soilless Culture

“…The enhancement of food with biochemicals can be achieved through biofortification methods in microgreen plants. 21 Although the benefits of soilless culture in general and in microgreen plant production have been investigated by various crop science disciplines including crop improvement and crop production, in order to further advance its practice, techniques of soilless cultivation and comprehensive compilation and investigation of plant production, factors affecting plants, biofortification, artificial light mechanisms in plant growth, pathway regulation, or nutrient enhancement, and nanoparticles in plant growth and stress tolerance under water based culture and substrate based culture conditions are needed 22 (Figure 1). Details of these aspects are reviewed in this work: i. to explore microgreen plant production in soilless culture, ii.…”

“…The enhancement of food with biochemicals can be achieved through biofortification methods in microgreen plants . Although the benefits of soilless culture in general and in microgreen plant production have been investigated by various crop science disciplines including crop improvement and crop production, in order to further advance its practice, techniques of soilless cultivation and comprehensive compilation and investigation of plant production, factors affecting plants, biofortification, artificial light mechanisms in plant growth, pathway regulation, or nutrient enhancement, and nanoparticles in plant growth and stress tolerance under water based culture and substrate based culture conditions are needed ( Figure ). Details of these aspects are reviewed in this work: to explore microgreen plant production in soilless culture, to understand factors affecting microgreen plant production in soilless culture, to explore mechanisms of LED light effects on nutrient synthesis and enhancement and disease resistance response in microgreen plants, to explore mechanisms of LED light effects on morphological growth in microgreen plants, to explore mechanisms of LED light effects on biochemical pathway regulation in microgreen plants, to understand mechanisms of nutrient translocation in microgreen plants, to understand biofortification in microgreen plants, to elaborate multipurpose uses of microgreen plants. …”

A comprehensive review on the antioxidant activities and health benefits of microgreens: current insights and future perspectives

“…Microgreens are gaining global popularity as fresh, readily consumable functional and nutraceutical foods, as well as dietary supplements (Dereje et al ., 2023; Gupta et al ., 2023). Their richness in phytochemicals, including polyphenols, flavonoids, carotenoids, vitamins, and minerals, gives them great potential to diversify and enhance the human diet and address nutrient deficiencies (Bhaswant et al ., 2023).…”

“…These bioactive compounds display a range of properties, encompassing antioxidative, anti‐inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer effects (Le et al ., 2020; Zhang et al ., 2021). The high concentrations of vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds found in microgreens contribute to promoting health and well‐being (Gupta et al ., 2023).…”

Potentials of genotypes, morpho-physio-biochemical traits, and growing media on shelf life and future prospects of gene editing in tomatoes

“…It can change one nucleotide into another and modify the epigenetic environment at the target site ( Chandana et al, 2022 ). Several insights narrating different facets of gene editing for trait- and crop-specific manipulation have been explained by various researchers ( Mahto et al, 2022 ; Singh et al, 2022 ; Gupta et al, 2023 ). In the majority of crops, the selection of traits to be improved, either through classical breeding or genetic alterations, was primarily driven by technology, taking into consideration the needs and benefits of farmers, processors, and distributors.…”