Abstract
Micronutrient deficiencies caused by malnutrition and hidden hunger are a growing concern worldwide, exacerbated by climate change, COVID-19, and conflicts. A potentially sustainable way to mitigate such challenges is the production of nutrient-dense crops through agronomic biofortification techniques. Among several potential target crops, microgreens are considered suitable for mineral biofortification because of their short growth cycle, high content of nutrients, and low level of anti-nutritional factors. A study was conducted to evaluate the potential of zinc (Zn) biofortification of pea and sunflower microgreens via seed nutri-priming, examining the effect of different Zn sources (Zn sulfate, Zn-EDTA, and Zn oxide nanoparticles) and concentrations (0, 25, 50, 100, and 200 ppm) on microgreen yield components; mineral content; phytochemical constituents such as total chlorophyll, carotenoids, flavonoids, anthocyanin, and total phenolic compounds; antioxidant activity; and antinutrient factors like phytic acid. Treatments were arranged in a completely randomized factorial block design with three replications. Seed soaked in a 200 ppm ZnSO 4 solution resulted in higher Zn accumulation in both peas (126.1%) and sunflower microgreens (229.8%). However, an antagonistic effect on the accumulation of other micronutrients (Fe, Mn, and Cu) was seen only in pea microgreens. Even at high concentrations, seed soaking in Zn-EDTA did not effectively accumulate Zn in both microgreens’ species. ZnO increased the chlorophyll, total phenols, and antioxidant activities compared to Zn-EDTA. Seed soaking in ZnSO 4 and ZnO solutions at higher concentrations resulted in a lower phytic acid/Zn molar ratio, suggesting the higher bioaccessibility of the biofortified Zn in both pea and sunflower microgreens. These results suggest that seed nutrient priming is feasible for enriching pea and sunflower microgreens with Zn. The most effective Zn source was ZnSO 4 , followed by ZnO. The optimal concentration of Zn fertilizer solution should be selected based on fertilizer source, target species, and desired Zn-enrichment level.
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Claims 17
Claim · model-written summary
Soaking pea seeds in 200 ppm ZnSO 4 increased zinc accumulation by 126.1%.
- Taxon
- pea
Lathyrus oleraceust0 - Treatment
- 200 ppm ZnSO 4 solutione0
- Outcome
- Zn accumulatione0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 126.1%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“pea”
e0“Seed soaked in a 200 ppm ZnSO 4 solution resulted in higher Zn accumulation in both peas (126.1%) and sunflower microgreens (229.8%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Soaking sunflower seeds in 200 ppm ZnSO 4 increased zinc accumulation by 229.8%.
- Taxon
- sunflower
Helianthus annuust0 - Treatment
- 200 ppm ZnSO 4 solutione0
- Outcome
- Zn accumulatione0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 229.8%e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“sunflower”
e0“Seed soaked in a 200 ppm ZnSO 4 solution resulted in higher Zn accumulation in both peas (126.1%) and sunflower microgreens (229.8%)”
Claim · model-written summary
The high-zinc seed treatment antagonized accumulation of Fe, Mn and Cu in pea microgreens.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Outcome
- accumulation of other micronutrients (Fe, Mn, and Cu)e0
Not reportedTreatmentComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“pea”
e0“an antagonistic effect on the accumulation of other micronutrients (Fe, Mn, and Cu) was seen only in pea microgreens”
Claim · model-written summary
Zn-EDTA seed soaking did not effectively increase zinc in pea microgreens, even at high concentrations.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Treatment
- seed soaking in Zn-EDTAe0
- Outcome
- accumulate Zne0
- Direction
- did not effectivelye0
- Qualifier
- high concentrationse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“pea”
e0“Even at high concentrations, seed soaking in Zn-EDTA did not effectively accumulate Zn in both microgreens’ species”
Claim · model-written summary
Zn-EDTA seed soaking did not effectively increase zinc in sunflower microgreens, even at high concentrations.
- Taxon
- sunflowerHelianthus annuust0
- Treatment
- seed soaking in Zn-EDTAe0
- Outcome
- accumulate Zne0
- Direction
- did not effectivelye0
- Qualifier
- high concentrationse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“sunflower”
e0“Even at high concentrations, seed soaking in Zn-EDTA did not effectively accumulate Zn in both microgreens’ species”
Claim · model-written summary
ZnO increased chlorophyll, total phenols and antioxidant activity relative to Zn-EDTA in microgreens.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Treatment
- ZnOe0
- Outcome
- chlorophyll, total phenols, and antioxidant activitiese0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- Zn-EDTAe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“pea”
e0“ZnO increased the chlorophyll, total phenols, and antioxidant activities compared to Zn-EDTA”
Claim · model-written summary
ZnO increased chlorophyll, total phenols and antioxidant activity relative to Zn-EDTA in sunflower microgreens.
- Taxon
- sunflowerHelianthus annuust0
- Treatment
- ZnOe0
- Outcome
- chlorophyll, total phenols, and antioxidant activitiese0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Comparator
- Zn-EDTAe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“sunflower”
e0“ZnO increased the chlorophyll, total phenols, and antioxidant activities compared to Zn-EDTA”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher-concentration ZnSO 4 priming lowered the phytic acid to zinc molar ratio in pea microgreens.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Treatment
- ZnSO 4e0
- Outcome
- phytic acid/Zn molar ratioe0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Qualifier
- higher concentrationse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“pea”
e0“Seed soaking in ZnSO 4 and ZnO solutions at higher concentrations resulted in a lower phytic acid/Zn molar ratio, suggesting the higher bioaccessibility of the biofortified Zn in both pea and sunflower microgreens”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher-concentration ZnSO 4 priming lowered the phytic acid to zinc molar ratio in sunflower microgreens.
- Taxon
- sunflowerHelianthus annuust0
- Treatment
- ZnSO 4e0
- Outcome
- phytic acid/Zn molar ratioe0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Qualifier
- higher concentrationse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“sunflower”
e0“Seed soaking in ZnSO 4 and ZnO solutions at higher concentrations resulted in a lower phytic acid/Zn molar ratio, suggesting the higher bioaccessibility of the biofortified Zn in both pea and sunflower microgreens”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher-concentration ZnO priming lowered the phytic acid to zinc molar ratio in pea microgreens.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Treatment
- ZnOe0
- Outcome
- phytic acid/Zn molar ratioe0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Qualifier
- higher concentrationse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“pea”
e0“Seed soaking in ZnSO 4 and ZnO solutions at higher concentrations resulted in a lower phytic acid/Zn molar ratio, suggesting the higher bioaccessibility of the biofortified Zn in both pea and sunflower microgreens”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher-concentration ZnO priming lowered the phytic acid to zinc molar ratio in sunflower microgreens.
- Taxon
- sunflowerHelianthus annuust0
- Treatment
- ZnOe0
- Outcome
- phytic acid/Zn molar ratioe0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Qualifier
- higher concentrationse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“sunflower”
e0“Seed soaking in ZnSO 4 and ZnO solutions at higher concentrations resulted in a lower phytic acid/Zn molar ratio, suggesting the higher bioaccessibility of the biofortified Zn in both pea and sunflower microgreens”
Claim · model-written summary
The lower phytic acid to zinc ratio suggests greater zinc bioaccessibility in pea microgreens.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Outcome
- bioaccessibility of the biofortified Zne0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- suggestinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“pea”
e0“suggesting the higher bioaccessibility of the biofortified Zn in both pea and sunflower microgreens”
Claim · model-written summary
The lower phytic acid to zinc ratio suggests greater zinc bioaccessibility in sunflower microgreens.
- Taxon
- sunflowerHelianthus annuust0
- Outcome
- bioaccessibility of the biofortified Zne0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- suggestinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“sunflower”
e0“suggesting the higher bioaccessibility of the biofortified Zn in both pea and sunflower microgreens”
Claim · model-written summary
Seed nutrient priming is feasible for zinc enrichment of pea microgreens.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Treatment
- seed nutrient priminge0
- Outcome
- enriching pea and sunflower microgreens with Zne0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“pea”
e0“seed nutrient priming is feasible for enriching pea and sunflower microgreens with Zn”
Claim · model-written summary
Seed nutrient priming is feasible for zinc enrichment of sunflower microgreens.
- Taxon
- sunflowerHelianthus annuust0
- Treatment
- seed nutrient priminge0
- Outcome
- enriching pea and sunflower microgreens with Zne0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“sunflower”
e0“seed nutrient priming is feasible for enriching pea and sunflower microgreens with Zn”
Claim · model-written summary
ZnSO 4 was the most effective zinc source.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Treatment
- ZnSO 4e0
- Outcome
- most effective Zn sourcee0
- Direction
- most effectivee0
- Comparator
- ZnOe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“pea”
e0“The most effective Zn source was ZnSO 4 , followed by ZnO”
Claim · model-written summary
Optimal zinc solution concentration should reflect source, target species and desired enrichment.
- Taxon
- peaLathyrus oleraceust0
- Outcome
- optimal concentration of Zn fertilizer solutione0
- Qualifier
- based on fertilizer source, target species, and desired Zn-enrichment levele0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“pea”
e0“The optimal concentration of Zn fertilizer solution should be selected based on fertilizer source, target species, and desired Zn-enrichment level”
The same questions in other papers
zinc atom · nutrient: content · Helianthus annuus (common sunflower)Results differ
4 papers in the same direction as this paper · 8 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
9 papers more in this group
See all 13 papers →zinc sulfate · molecular: metabolites · Helianthus annuus (common sunflower)Positive and negative results
1 paper in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction
- negative
- positive
zinc atom · nutrient: content · Lathyrus oleraceus (pea)Positive and negative results
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 12 in the opposite direction
- positive
- positive
- positive
11 papers more in this group
See all 15 papers →zinc oxide · physiology: pigments · Helianthus annuus (common sunflower)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
zinc sulfate · nutrient: content · Helianthus annuus (common sunflower)Results agree
3 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
zinc oxide · physiology: pigments · Lathyrus oleraceus (pea)Results agree
3 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
zinc sulfate · nutrient: content · Lathyrus oleraceus (pea)Results agree
6 papers in the same direction as this paper
- positive
- positive
- positive
3 papers more in this group
See all 7 papers →seed treatment · nutrient: content · Helianthus annuus (common sunflower)Positive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- positive
8 of 9 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
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.