The nutritional profile of microgreen and mature lettuce (Lactuca sativa) grown under urban-type phytotron (ISR 0.2) conditions

Abstract

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is a major leafy vegetable and is commonly used in salad mixes and sandwiches. Therefore, lettuce can contribute significantly to the nutritional content of healthy diets. One specific nutritional problem that needs attention is mineral (e.g., Fe, Zn) malnutrition, which impacts over two-thirds of the World’s people living in countries of every economic status. Also, consumption of salads Microgreens, the edible cotyledons of many vegetables has been gaining popularity as a culinary trend due to its flavor and density of minerals that can be sustainably produced in almost any locale. In this study, the nutrient contents of both mature and microgreen oakleaf lettuce grown on rockwool mat were assessed and compared to each other together with the phytonutrient contents like ascorbic acid, total antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content. Of the 10 nutrients examined (P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Fe, N), lettuce microgreens had significantly larger quantities of all nutrients than mature lettuce except for the Ca and K. As microgreens can be grown easily in one’s home using the methods used in this study, they may provide a means for consumer access to larger quantities of nutrients per gram plant biomass relative to store-bought mature lettuce, which had relatively lower nutrient contents than microgreens with respect to most nutrients examined.