Salicornia ramosissima as food: microbiological, nutritional and sensorial quality of glasswort from Ria de Aveiro

• Autor(a) principal: Cardoso, Mariana Pereira da Silva
• Data de Publicação: 2019
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/10773/25471
• topic: Halófitas comestíveis; Salicornia; Alimentos vegetais; Sal-verde; Segurança alimentar; Valor nutricional; Benefícios para a saúde

Salicornia ramosissima is a wild edible halophyte plant that grows specially in salt marshes and salt wetlands. Due to its diverse nutritional and organoleptic profile, it is being increasingly recognized in many countries as a gourmet ingredient. Since S. ramosissima is one of the less studied species and it is the only species of genus Salicornia represented in Portugal, the present work intends to assess microbiological, mineral, bromatological and sensorial properties of fresh and dry shoots (green salt) of plants harvested in different salt marsh sites within Ria de Aveiro. The microbiological load and stability of fresh shoots and green salt were evaluated during storage periods of 10 days at 4ºC or up to 6 months at room temperature, respectively. The nutritional profile was characterized based on elemental and bromatological analysis of fresh and dry plant material. In general, the microbiological analysis showed that the concentration of microorganisms complied with the recommended limits for fresh vegetable and dry herbs and spices, and in general free of yeast and pathogenic bacteria (Escherichia coli and Bacillus cereus). The nutritional profile of fresh shoots was characterized by low concentrations of fatty acids and high content in water, Na and fiber. The content of total ash in green salt and the elemental profile configure a good source of minerals, without exceeding the recommended limits for toxic metals. Considering the Na content of S. ramosissima determined in this study, the maximum daily dose to be consumed without exceeding healthy limit of ingestion of Na was calculated as 7 g of green salt or 70 g of fresh shoots. The sensorial analysis indicated that the fresh shoots included in a mixed salad attracted the greatest acceptance. The use of green salt as a substitute for cooking salt showed higher acceptance in a meat dish than in a soup. In the later, the saltiness was below the satisfactory level. The results justify that S. ramosissima may be more extensively used as healthy palatable food and open perspectives for the crop cultivation of this halophyte in Ria de Aveiro as a complementary economic activity or as an alternative for the reconversion of disused salt pans.