Nutrient value of Salicornia ramosissima-A green extraction process for mineral analysis

The knowledge of the chemical composition of the Salicornia ramosissima halophyte is crucial to ascertain the value of this under-exploited resource. Hence, it is the purpose of this study to analyse the nutrient composition of S. ramosissima collected in the Mondego estuary, Portugal, in July and November of 2019. On a dry weight (dw) basis, S. ramosissima consisted of 47.4 % ash, 10.4 % crude fibre, 4.16 % protein and 0.450 % lipids. Given its importance, particular emphasis was placed on the mineral fraction, which was evaluated through a green method based on ultrasound-assisted extraction with water, followed by potentiometric and colorimetric determination using a chemical auto-analyser. The predominant minerals analysed and their respective content were sodium 159, magnesium 9.01, potassium 7.22 and calcium 2.99 mg/g dw. This clean methodology proved to be sound, achieving good results for recovery (80.5-108 %) and repeatability (% RSDr = 4.81 %). Owing to its high fibre content and mineral richness, S. ramosissima showed remarkable potential as a functional ingredient.

Automated summary

The chemical composition of Salicornia ramosissima was analyzed to find that it has high fiber content and rich minerals, showing potential as a functional ingredient.