Dilute seawater irrigation boosts tomatoes' nutrient value
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The nutrient value of cherry tomatoes can be raised by irrigating them with dilute seawater (~one-half percent salt), according to a new study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry .
The Italian research team discovered:
As compared to the controls, the fruits of salt-treated plants showed a higher titratable acidity and a higher concentration of reducing sugars. The fruits picked from tomato plants irrigated with diluted seawater produced berries characterized by a higher nutritional value. Following salinity, berries showed higher amounts of vitamin C, vitamin E, dihydrolipoic acid, and chlorogenic acid. It was hypothesized that protocatechuic, vanillic, caffeic, and ferulic acids were utilized to counteract the damaging effects of salinity-induced oxidative stress, allowing tomato fruits to maintain a high reduced status even following salinization.
Reference:
J. Agric. Food Chem., 2008, 56 (9), pp 3391–3397Publication Date (Web): April 5, 2008 (Article)DOI: 10.1021/jf0733012