Cultivation and Preservation of Salicornia ramosissima J. Woods: Effects on Biomass Quality for Food Applications

Abstract

Salicornia spp. is a halophytic plant with great potential in sustainable agriculture due to its ability to thrive in saline environments where conventional crops cannot grow. This study investigated Salicornia ramosissima J. Woods cultivated under two systems: hydroponics and substrate environments. The plants produced were subsequently preserved for food applications and chemically characterized within biorefinery processes. Analyses were performed using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy with Attenuated Total Reflection (FTIR-ATR), Ultraviolet/Visible Spectrophotometry, and Thin-Layer Chromatography (TLC). The hydroponic system proved to be the most promising cultivation method, promoting superior aerial growth ranging from 14% to 50% higher than substrate-grown plants throughout the cultivation period and achieving a higher biomass yield. Regarding pigment preservation, freezing best maintained compound integrity, as observed through TLC analysis, while desiccator and vacuum storage at room temperature were most suitable for hydroponically grown samples. Under vacuum storage, pigments pheophytin A and B and chlorophyll A showed an estimated 33% higher retention compared with desiccator storage. Both cultivation methods demonstrated potential for large-scale applications, highlighting Salicornia ramosissima J. Woods as a valuable crop for saline agriculture and sustainable food production.