Effect of fertilization via nutrient solution on the nutritional profile and chemical composition of Chicorium spinosum L.
The availability of healthy and functional food is a worldwide concern to meet the increasing demands of consumers. Currently, there is a new trend in relation to the consumption of wild edible plants, with high nutritional and functional properties, which until now were little explored. Chicorium spinosum L. is a wild edible plant that occurs in different Mediterranean climates, which has already been described and correlated with the prevention of chronic diseases and disorders [1–3]. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of fertilization with nutrient solutions that contained different ratios of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium on the nutritional profile (AOAC methods) and chemical composition (organic acids obtained by UFLC-PDA, free sugars identified by HPLC-RI, and fatty acids determined by GC-FID) of C. spinosum leaves. The samples fertilized with 300:100:100 ppm of N:P:K (C311) stood out for its high crude protein and total dietary fiber content, followed by the sample fertilized with 200:200:200 ppm of N:P:K that also showed promising fat values and carbohydrates. The control sample (without fertilization) showed the lowest values in all the studied parameters, except for the protein content in which there were no significant differences compared to the C311 sample. In terms of organic acids, quinic acid was present in the highest amounts, while malic and oxalic acids presented low content. The most abundant individual sugar was glucose, followed by sucrose and fructose. Regarding fatty acids, the presence of unsaturated fatty acids was highlighted, mainly linoleic acid. Overall, the sample treated with 300:200:200 ppm of N:P:K (C322) was the one presenting the highest amounts of sugars and fatty acids, while C311 presented the highest amounts of organic acids. The results demonstrated that it is possible by selecting the proper nutrient solution to improves the nutritional profile and functional compounds, thus enabling the cultivation of C. spinosum in controlled cropping systems, increasing yield and product availability and making it available to a larger number of consumers.