Scientists adjust the iodine and potassium content of radishes, peas, arugula and chard

In a significant development in personalized nutrition, Italian researchers have grown microgreens with tailored nutritional profiles to meet individual dietary needs.

The study, published in the Journal of Food and Agricultural Scienceprovides a model for soil-less cultivation of nutrient-enriched plants in a commercial greenhouse.

Co-authors Massimiliano D’Imperio and Francesco Serio, both from the National Research Council (CNR) of the Institute of Food Production Sciences (ISPA); and Massimiliano Renna, professor of agricultural and environmental sciences at the University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy, explained the motivation behind the research.

“Propelled by an ever-increasing awareness of the importance of following dietary recommendations, interest in personalized nutrition is on the rise. The biofortification of soilless vegetables has opened the door to the potential of adapting vegetable production to specific dietary requirements,” Renna said.

The team grew four different species – radishes, peas, arugula and Swiss chard – and focused on two nutrients that play a crucial role in health and nutrition: iodine and potassium.

Iodine is essential for thyroid function, with its deficiency affecting approximately two billion people worldwide. Fortifying table salt with iodine is a strategy used internationally to combat deficiencies, while other sources in the human diet include fish, milk and eggs.

However, World Health Organization recommendations to reduce daily salt intake, coupled with an increase in vegetarian and vegan diets, are leading to a growing demand for alternative sources of iodine.

Using nutrient solutions tailored to plant growth, the team successfully grew plants with up to 14 times higher iodine content than unenriched microgreens, as a new dietary source of iodine.

They also grew microgreens with a 45% reduction in potassium levels, to meet the needs of people suffering from chronic kidney disease, for whom their consumption must be limited to avoid health complications.

“Since vegetables contain high concentrations of potassium, patients with kidney disease are sometimes advised not to eat vegetables, or to soak them in water and boil them to reduce the potassium content. potassium by leaching.

“However, potassium reduction through such cooking methods can be considered limited, while other important minerals and vitamins could be significantly lost,” the researchers noted. “In this context, the production of low-potassium vegetables could be of great interest.”

The study was conducted in a commercial setting: at Ortogourmet, an operating microgreens farm in southern Italy. Importantly, this supports the viability of large-scale custom microgreen cultivation while maintaining optimal agronomic performance.

The microgreens were grown in a soilless system, in which a liquid medium is used in place of soil and the plants are fed by a nutrient solution.

Explaining the benefits of a soilless system, the authors said: “Soilless cultivation is considered an advanced and environmentally friendly agricultural practice to improve the quality of fresh vegetables. In fact, although soilless growing systems were developed primarily to address the challenge of overgrowing. soil pathogens, it is nevertheless true that they also promote optimal control of plant growth, high productivity and efficient use of water and fertilizers. Additionally, above-ground systems represent an opportunity to modulate the nutrient solution with precision and efficiency.

Researchers are now turning to manipulating plant biological pathways to produce desired compounds.

“The key idea is to leverage in-depth knowledge of plant metabolic pathways to identify key points where intervention is possible to increase the production of desired molecules,” they note.

“Optimizing these techniques will require in-depth research into the molecular biology of plants, particularly the metabolic pathways involved in the synthesis of target molecules, as well as constant refinement of growth conditions. The combination of advanced scientific knowledge and innovative technologies can open new perspectives in the production of healthier and nutritionally biofortified vegetables.