Abstract
Salinity is a major concern in several ecosystems and has a significant impact on global agriculture. To increase the sustainability of horticultural food systems, better management and usage of saline water and soils need to be supported by knowledge of the crop-specific responses to tolerable levels of salinity. The aim of this work was to study the effects of mild salinity on morphological growth and development, leaf color, mineral composition, antioxidant activities, and phenolic profile of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). Plants grew in hydroponics and were exposed to three nutrient solutions (NSs) differing in the NaCl concentration (either 0, 20, or 40 mM). Inhibitory effects on leaf area, fresh yield, and shoot biomass were evident starting from the lowest NaCl concentration, and they became more severe and wide-ranging at 40 mM, also affecting height and root-to-shoot ratio. Salinity increased the nutritional quality in terms of antioxidant activity and polyphenols in leaves, with a reduction in macroelements at 40 mM NaCl. Moreover, the two mild NaCl concentrations specifically modified the concentration of various phenolic acids in leaves. Overall, the use of a slightly saline (20 mM) NS could be tolerated by basil in hydroponics, strongly ameliorating the nutritional profile in the face of relative yield loss. Considering the significantly higher accumulation of bioactive compounds, our work implies that the use of low-salinity water can sustainably increase the nutritional value and the health-promoting features of basil leaves.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
Inhibitory effects of NaCl on leaf area, fresh yield and shoot biomass of basil were evident starting from the lowest NaCl concentration.
- Taxon
- sweet basil
Ocimum basilicume1 - Treatment
- NaCle2
- Outcome
- leaf area, fresh yield, and shoot biomasse2
- Direction
- Inhibitory effectse2
- Qualifier
- starting from the lowest NaCl concentratione2
- Setting
- hydroponicse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Plants grew in hydroponics and were exposed to three nutrient solutions (NSs) differing in the NaCl concentration (either 0, 20, or 40 mM)”
e1“to study the effects of mild salinity on morphological growth and development, leaf color, mineral composition, antioxidant activities, and phenolic profile of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)”
e2“Inhibitory effects on leaf area, fresh yield, and shoot biomass were evident starting from the lowest NaCl concentration”
Claim · model-written summary
At 40 mM NaCl, basil height and root-to-shoot ratio were also reduced.
- Taxon
- sweet basilOcimum basilicume1
- Treatment
- 40 mMe3
- Outcome
- height and root-to-shoot ratioe3
- Direction
- decreaseinferrede3
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“to study the effects of mild salinity on morphological growth and development, leaf color, mineral composition, antioxidant activities, and phenolic profile of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)”
e3“they became more severe and wide-ranging at 40 mM, also affecting height and root-to-shoot ratio”
Claim · model-written summary
Salinity increased antioxidant activity and polyphenols in basil leaves, improving their nutritional quality.
- Taxon
- sweet basilOcimum basilicume1
- Treatment
- Salinitye4
- Outcome
- antioxidant activity and polyphenolse4
- Direction
- increasede4
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“to study the effects of mild salinity on morphological growth and development, leaf color, mineral composition, antioxidant activities, and phenolic profile of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)”
e4“Salinity increased the nutritional quality in terms of antioxidant activity and polyphenols in leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
At 40 mM NaCl, macroelement concentrations in basil were reduced.
- Taxon
- sweet basilOcimum basilicume1
- Treatment
- 40 mM NaCle5
- Outcome
- macroelementse5
- Direction
- reductione5
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“to study the effects of mild salinity on morphological growth and development, leaf color, mineral composition, antioxidant activities, and phenolic profile of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)”
e5“with a reduction in macroelements at 40 mM NaCl”
Claim · model-written summary
The two mild NaCl concentrations specifically modified the concentrations of various phenolic acids in basil leaves.
- Taxon
- sweet basilOcimum basilicume1
- Treatment
- the two mild NaCl concentrationse6
- Outcome
- concentration of various phenolic acidse6
- Direction
- modifiede6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“to study the effects of mild salinity on morphological growth and development, leaf color, mineral composition, antioxidant activities, and phenolic profile of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)”
e6“the two mild NaCl concentrations specifically modified the concentration of various phenolic acids in leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
Low-salinity water can sustainably increase the nutritional value of basil leaves.
- Taxon
- basilOcimum basilicume7
- Treatment
- low-salinity watere7
- Outcome
- nutritional valuee7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“the use of low-salinity water can sustainably increase the nutritional value and the health-promoting features of basil leaves”
Claim · model-written summary
A slightly saline (20 mM) nutrient solution could be tolerated by hydroponic basil and strongly improve its nutritional profile despite relative yield loss.
- Taxon
- basilOcimum basilicume7
- Treatment
- slightly saline (20 mM) NSe7
- Outcome
- nutritional profilee7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e7“the use of a slightly saline (20 mM) NS could be tolerated by basil in hydroponics, strongly ameliorating the nutritional profile in the face of relative yield loss”
The same questions in other papers
sodium chloride · yield · Ocimum basilicum (basil)Results differ
6 papers in the same direction as this paper
- negative
- negative
- negative
3 papers more in this group
See all 7 papers →salinity · quality: phytochemicals · Ocimum basilicum (basil)Results agree
3 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.