Improved methodologies for extraction of salt in halophytes

• Main Author: Tiago Morais
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2014-06-01
• Series: Frontiers in Marine Science
• Subjects: Extraction method; Halophytes; mineral content; salt alternative; <i>Arthrocnemum macrostachyum</i>; <i>Salicornia</i> spp.
• Online Access: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/conf.fmars.2014.02.00053/full

There are known culinary applications of halophytes species, such as <i>Atriplex halimus, Portulaca oleracea, Beta maritima, Salicornia europaea</i> and <i>Arthrocnemum macrostachyum</i>, mostly due to their mineral content, as they provide an alternative to common salt. Species of the last two genera possess a curious salt resistance mechanism, in which they can store Na⁺ in vacuoles in their shoots, using these vacuoles to stimulate growth. It is theorized that this mechanism enables the extraction of a vegetable salt, with a different Na⁺/Cl^- ratio , providing healthier applications for human consumption, due to lower Na⁺ levels. In the present work we try to validate an efficient method for extracting a vegetable salt from a commercial mixture of <i>Salicornia europaea</i> and <i>Salicornia bigelovii</i>, as well as wild <i>Arthrocnemum macrostachyum</i>. We compared the efficiency of two extraction solvents used on this methodology. The used process presented mean yield rates around 70% (<i>Salicornia</i>) and 50% (<i>Arthrocnemum</i>). The comparison of the results between genera was the expected, since <i>Salicornia</i> species are more succulent than <i>Arthrocnemum</i>. This method yield rates in <i>Salicornia</i> appear to be higher than the expected based on previous publication. The data suggests other elements of interest may be differently distributed between the two genera. A nutritional profile, which we intend to do, may elucidate about the contents of vegetable salt.