Boosting the phytochemical yield and antioxidant activity of Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz sprouts by application of moderate salinity to the germination substrate

Abstract

This work aimed to test the elicitation effect of salinity on the phytochemical content and antioxidant activity of camelina sprouts. Five camelina cultivars (ALBA, CO46, CCE43, JOELLE, VERA) were sprouted with NaCl solutions 0, 25, 50, and 100 mM, in a randomized blocks design with four replicates. First, total germination, mean germination time, and individual sprout growth parameters were measured. Then, the concentrations of free, bound, and total phenolic compounds (PCs), phenolic acids (PAs), and glucosinolates (GLSs) of sprouts extracts, and their antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, FRAP) were analyzed. Four cultivars obtained the highest PCs, PAs, and GLSs concentrations, and the highest antioxidant activity when sprouted under moderate salinity (i.e., 25 or 50 mM NaCl). Since these salinity levels did not affect seed germination and sprout growth, there was an actual gain in phytochemical yield (i.e., the product between biomass accumulation and its phytochemical concentration) and antioxidant activity.

The experiment was supported by the Project “Ricerca di Base 2020”, Coordinator: Paolo Benincasa