Vertical farming of micro- and baby greens: Influence on organic acid, free sugar, betalain, and phenolic compound contents
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Consumers are increasingly cautious about their dietary choices, searching for fresh foods, such as vegetables, for their functional and potential health-promoting effects [1]. Microgreens are small tender vegetables harvested when the cotyledon leaves are formed alongside one set of true leaves, typically between 7 and 14 days. In contrast, baby greens are also small vegetables but are harvested
when true leaves have formed, generally containing between two and eight true leaves, with a growing cycle of 20 to 40 days [2]. Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla), a member of the Amaranthaceae family, is rich in phenolic compounds, betalains, chlorophylls, and carotenoids, making it a suitable candidate for microgreen production [3,4]. This study aimed to produce Swiss chard micro- and baby greens from white, yellow, pink, and orange varieties under soilless conditions and to characterize their profiles of phenolic compounds,
betalains, free sugars, and organic acids.
The microgreens were grown in a walk-in growth chamber equipped with LED lamps under controlled conditions and irrigated with a TriPart® Grow NPK 3-1-6 nutrient solution as necessary. Microgreens were produced in polystyrene trays filled with vermiculite, while baby greens were cultivated in individual phenolic foams. Microgreens and baby greens were harvested 14 and 34 days after sowing, respectively. A solid-liquid extraction using 80% ethanol was then performed to characterize the phytochemical composition of the plant
material using different chromatographic techniques. Although the samples did not present free sugars, one organic acid (oxalic acid) was identified, with the orange and white microgreens exhibiting the highest and lowest concentrations, respectively. For baby greens, the yellow and orange varieties presented the highest and lowest concentrations, respectively. Seven phenolic compounds were identified in the microgreen and six in the baby greens. Among baby greens, only the white variety contained betalains (one betacyanin and three betaxanthins). The white microgreens presented seven betalains (two betacyanins and five betaxanthins), while only one betacyanin was identified in the orange, white, and pink microgreens.
This study highlighted the potential of environmentally sustainable agriculture practices to produce Swiss chard microgreens and baby greens. Nevertheless, further studies on optimized production conditions and compound extraction techniques are required.
