Salinity-Modulated Germination and Metabolic Reprogramming in Quinoa Seedlings: Genotype-Dependent Effects on Nutritional and Bioactive Compounds and Prospects for Microgreen Valorization.
- 1Laboratory of Extremophile Plants, Centre of Biotechnology of Borj Cedria, P.O. Box. 901, Hammam-Lif 2050, Tunisia.
- 2Saharan Bio-Resources Laboratory, Safeguarding and Valorization, Kasdi Merbah Ouargla University, Ouargla 30000, Algeria.
Abstract
Germination is highly sensitive to abiotic stresses such as salinity, which can impair seedling establishment and seed reserve mobilization. Quinoa is a promising crop due to its salinity tolerance and high nutritional value. This study evaluated the effects of NaCl-induced salinity on germination performance, metabolic responses, and nutritional quality of three quinoa seed lots representing two varieties, Regalona (Q1) and Amarilla sacaca (Q2, Q3). Salinity significantly reduced germination rate and kinetics, as well as radicle and shoot growth, with the strongest effects at 500 mM NaCl. During the germination process, starch and protein contents decreased, reflecting reserve mobilization, while vitamin E increased under moderate salinity, particularly in Q1 and Q2, but declined under severe stress. Secondary metabolites, including phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, and saponins, exhibited strong genotype- and stress-dependent variation. HPLC-DAD identified gallic, syringic, vanillic, caffeic, and protocatechuic acids, as well as rutin, quercetin, and kaempferol, with marked differences between raw seeds and seedlings. At moderate salinity (300 mM NaCl), TFC increased by 22% and 42% in Q1 and Q2, respectively, relative to RS, whereas Q3 showed a 45% reduction. Under high salinity (500 mM NaCl), TFC decreased by 83% and 15% in Q1 and Q2, respectively, while Q3 exhibited a 35% increase relative to RS. These contrasting responses highlight genotype-dependent changes in flavonoid accumulation and reflect distinct metabolic plasticity among quinoa genotypes. Overall, these findings support quinoa as a promising functional microgreen crop for producing nutrient- and bioactive-rich foods under controlled conditions.
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BibTeX
@article{goussi2026salinitymodulated,
title = {{Salinity-Modulated Germination and Metabolic Reprogramming in Quinoa Seedlings: Genotype-Dependent Effects on Nutritional and Bioactive Compounds and Prospects for Microgreen Valorization.}},
author = {Rahma Goussi and Rim Ben Youssef and Hatem Ben Jouira and Chiraz Friji and Sawsen Selmi and Halima Khaled and Arafet Manaa},
journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/plants15203108},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42943061},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Salinity-Modulated Germination and Metabolic Reprogramming in Quinoa Seedlings: Genotype-Dependent Effects on Nutritional and Bioactive Compounds and Prospects for Microgreen Valorization.
AU - Rahma Goussi
AU - Rim Ben Youssef
AU - Hatem Ben Jouira
AU - Chiraz Friji
AU - Sawsen Selmi
AU - Halima Khaled
AU - Arafet Manaa
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/11
JO - Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
DO - 10.3390/plants15203108
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42943061
AB - Germination is highly sensitive to abiotic stresses such as salinity, which can impair seedling establishment and seed reserve mobilization. Quinoa is a promising crop due to its salinity tolerance and high nutritional value. This study evaluated the effects of NaCl-induced salinity on germination performance, metabolic responses, and nutritional quality of three quinoa seed lots representing two varieties, Regalona (Q1) and Amarilla sacaca (Q2, Q3). Salinity significantly reduced germination rate and kinetics, as well as radicle and shoot growth, with the strongest effects at 500 mM NaCl. During the germination process, starch and protein contents decreased, reflecting reserve mobilization, while vitamin E increased under moderate salinity, particularly in Q1 and Q2, but declined under severe stress. Secondary metabolites, including phenolics, flavonoids, tannins, and saponins, exhibited strong genotype- and stress-dependent variation. HPLC-DAD identified gallic, syringic, vanillic, caffeic, and protocatechuic acids, as well as rutin, quercetin, and kaempferol, with marked differences between raw seeds and seedlings. At moderate salinity (300 mM NaCl), TFC increased by 22% and 42% in Q1 and Q2, respectively, relative to RS, whereas Q3 showed a 45% reduction. Under high salinity (500 mM NaCl), TFC decreased by 83% and 15% in Q1 and Q2, respectively, while Q3 exhibited a 35% increase relative to RS. These contrasting responses highlight genotype-dependent changes in flavonoid accumulation and reflect distinct metabolic plasticity among quinoa genotypes. Overall, these findings support quinoa as a promising functional microgreen crop for producing nutrient- and bioactive-rich foods under controlled conditions.
SN - 2223-7747
ER -