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Food Chemistry 2018
Journal of Food, Nutrition and Population Health
ISSN: 2577-0586
Page 60
July 23-24, 2018
Rome, Italy
3
rd
Edition of International Conference on
Agriculture &
Food Chemistry
C
onsumers are seeking better quality products, which differ from
the products found in the traditional market, presenting clear
advantages to our health. Sprouts are germinated seeds, usually
in dark or low light conditions, high humidity and temperature until
their cotyledons appear; whereas, micro greens are also seeds
germinated having two fully developed cotyledons with or without
the appearance of a rudimentary pair of true leaves. In the last few
years, it has been discovered that these sprouts and micro greens
are highly healthy with immense potential, being considered even
as functional foods or super foods, but there is still limited scientific
information. The objective therefore, of this work was to compare
different conditions in the crop of sprouts, micro greens and baby
vegetables of lettuce, carrots and zucchini grown in hydroponic
systems and evaluate nutritional aspects. To carry out this work,
three vegetables, lettuce, carrot and zucchini were evaluated as
sprout, micro green, baby vegetable and commercial vegetable
produced in hydroponics, with floating root and solid substrate,
under two photo periods (long-day and short-day). Each species
was affected differently by these conditions and its development
was different. To evaluate nutritional aspects, a proximate analysis
(moisture, ash, crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber and nitrogen
free extract) was performed. In addition, total carotenoids and total
polyphenols were analyzed, always resulting in higher values in
sprouts and micro greens than baby and commercial vegetables.
These preliminary results show a promising source of nutrients
beneficial to our health in sprouts and micro greens and consider
these immature stages of vegetables to be incorporated and
consumed more frequently in our diet.
Biography
Maria Dolores Lopez Belchi developed her PhD in IMIDA in Murcia, Spain
working with natural products extracted from plants and she has completed
her PhD in Agricultural Chemistry from the University of Murcia (Spain) and
Postdoctoral studies of functional ingredients from Nantes Atlantic College of
Veterinary Medicine, Food Science and Engineering, France. She worked as a
Professor of Chemistry at the University of Concepción. She published more
than 30 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as a Director of Lab-
oratory of Chemical Analysis in the Department of Crop Production. In recent
years, she has worked on the study of active compounds extracted from ber-
ries or other vegetables and fruits with high impact on human health.
mlopezb@udec.clSprouts, micro greens and baby leaf: improving the nutritional
quality in vegetables
Maria Dolores Lopez Belchi, Zapata E, Fierro P, Toro T, Jara P, Fischer S, Wilckens R
and
Schoebitz M
University of Concepcion, Chile
Maria Dolores Lopez Belchi et al., J Food Nutr Popul Health 2018, Volume 2
DOI: 10.21767/2577-0586-C2-006