Abstract
• Vacuum-dried UAE lemon peel extract (V-AQ) showed high stability and Fe, Zn, Mn, and Ca content. • Application of V-AQ extract to spinach enhanced biomass, relative water content, and Fe tissue accumulation. • Upregulation of PIP2;1 in spinach leaves was related to high RWC. • Zn alone or priming extract did not enhance or exceed the biofunctional potential of the extract. Lemon ( Citrus × limon ) residues from agro-industrial processes represent a significant environmental challenge due to their high organic load and acidic pH. This study explored different extraction techniques and processing methods to obtain a stable bioactive- and mineral-rich extract from lemon peels and evaluated its biofunctional potential on spinach ( Spinacia oleracea L.). Its effect was compared to Zn by priming the extract. Vacuum-dried and ultrasound-assisted aqueous extract (V-AQ) demonstrated stability, high levels of Fe, Zn, Mn, Ca, and bioactive compounds. Foliar application of V-AQ extract enhanced spinach growth, relative water content, and mineral accumulation, while increasing aquaporin gene expression ( PIP2;1 ). Zn-primed extract did not induce into strong physiological effects, highlighting the importance of the extract matrix for full food functional activity. Overall, V-AQ lemon peel extracts combine mineral enrichment and bioactive regulation, offering a sustainable approach to enhance crop performance. These findings also support the valorization of citrus residues within circular economy strategies.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
The vacuum-dried ultrasound-assisted aqueous lemon peel extract (V-AQ) was stable and had high levels of Fe, Zn, Mn, Ca and bioactive compounds.
- Outcome
- stability, high levels of Fe, Zn, Mn, Ca, and bioactive compoundse0
CitrusOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Vacuum-dried and ultrasound-assisted aqueous extract (V-AQ) demonstrated stability, high levels of Fe, Zn, Mn, Ca, and bioactive compounds”
t0“citrus extract”
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar application of V-AQ extract enhanced spinach growth, relative water content and mineral accumulation.
- Taxon
- spinach
Spinacia oleraceae0 - Treatment
- Foliar application of V-AQ extracte0
- Outcome
- growth, relative water content, and mineral accumulatione0
- Direction
- enhancede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Foliar application of V-AQ extract enhanced spinach growth, relative water content, and mineral accumulation”
Claim · model-written summary
Foliar application of V-AQ extract increased expression of the aquaporin gene PIP2;1 in spinach.
- Taxon
- spinachSpinacia oleraceae0
- Treatment
- Foliar application of V-AQ extracte0
- Gene
- PIP2;1e0
- Outcome
- aquaporin gene expressione0
- Direction
- increasinge0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Foliar application of V-AQ extract enhanced spinach growth, relative water content, and mineral accumulation, while increasing aquaporin gene expression ( PIP2;1 )”
Claim · model-written summary
Upregulation of PIP2;1 in spinach leaves was related to high relative water content.
- Taxon
- spinachSpinacia oleraceae0
- Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Gene
- PIP2;1e0
- Outcome
- RWCe0
- Direction
- higherinferrede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Upregulation of PIP2;1 in spinach leaves was related to high RWC”
Claim · model-written summary
Zn-primed extract did not induce strong physiological effects in spinach.
- Taxon
- spinachSpinacia oleraceat0
- Treatment
- Zn-primed extracte0
- Outcome
- strong physiological effectse0
- Direction
- did not inducee0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Zn-primed extract did not induce into strong physiological effects”
t0“spinach”
The same questions in other papers
botanical · molecular: expression · Spinacia oleracea (spinach)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
application · physiology: water · Spinacia oleracea (spinach)Results agree
2 papers in the same direction as this paper
- 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.