Scientists in Italy are investigating ways of growing tomatoes in diluted seawater, and suggest in a new scientific report that doing so raises the anti-oxidant quotient of the fruit.
The report, led by scientists at the Universita di Pisa and the Universita degli Studi della Tuscia, is due to be published in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
The controlled use of alternative water resources, such as diluted seawater, could be a valid tool to face drought in the Mediterranean region,” the report concludes.
“Our results show that the antioxidant-related nutritional value of tomatoes is significantly improved when the fruits are picked at the red-ripe stage and when the plants are exposed to moderate salinity stress conditions, such as those determined by the application of diluted seawater (10 percent).”
The researchers grew various types of salad tomatoes, at different levels of salinity and analysed the nutritional value thereof.
Antioxidant levels were approximately 10 percent higher for those grown in saltwater, presumably due to salt stress.
No comments yet