Combating Micronutrient Deficiency and Enhancing Food Functional Quality Through Selenium Fortification of Select Lettuce Genotypes Grown in a Closed Soilless System

Antonio Pannico; Christophe El-Nakhel; Marios C Kyriacou; Maria Giordano; Silvia Rita Stazi; Stefania De Pascale; Youssef Rouphael

doi:10.3389/fpls.2019.01495

Combating Micronutrient Deficiency and Enhancing Food Functional Quality Through Selenium Fortification of Select Lettuce Genotypes Grown in a Closed Soilless System

Front Plant Sci. 2019 Nov 20:10:1495. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01495. eCollection 2019.

Authors

Antonio Pannico¹, Christophe El-Nakhel¹, Marios C Kyriacou², Maria Giordano¹, Silvia Rita Stazi³, Stefania De Pascale¹, Youssef Rouphael¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, Italy.
² Department of Vegetable Crops, Agricultural Research Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus.
³ Department of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences (DSCF), University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.

Abstract

Selenium (Se) is an essential trace element for human nutrition and a key component of selenoproteins having fundamental biological and nutraceutical functions. We currently examined lettuce biofortification with Se in an open-gas-exchange growth chamber using closed soilless cultivation for delivering Se-rich food. Morphometric traits, minerals, phenolic acids, and carotenoids of two differently pigmented Salanova cultivars were evaluated in response to six Se concentrations (0-40 μM) delivered as sodium selenate in the nutrient solution. All treatments reduced green lettuce fresh yield slightly (9%), while a decrease in red lettuce was observed only at 32 and 40 μM Se (11 and 21% respectively). Leaf Se content increased in both cultivars, with the red accumulating 57% more Se than the green. At 16 μM Se all detected phenolic acids increased, moreover a substantial increase in anthocyanins (184%) was recorded in red Salanova. Selenium applications slightly reduced the carotenoids content of green Salanova, whereas in red Salanova treated with 32 μM Se violaxanthin + neoxanthin, lutein and β-cryptoxanthin spiked by 38.6, 27.4, and 23.1%, respectively. Lettuce constitutes an ideal target crop for selenium biofortification and closed soilless cultivation comprises an effective tool for producing Se-enriched foods of high nutraceutical value.

Keywords: Lactuca sativa L.; anthocyanins; carotenoids profile; hydroponics; mineral composition; nutrient solution management; phenolic acids; sodium selenate.