Salicornia — Plant-based Green Salt
Nutrition & Health Benefits of a Plant of the Future!
( This article is written with the partial help of ChatGPT)
Salicornia Plant
Salicornia is known as saltwort, glasswort, pickleweed, and Marsh Samphire. It is a succulent plant that grows in coastal salt marshes, beaches, mangroves, and mudflats. North American species are occasionally sold in grocery stores or appear on restaurant menus, usually as ‘sea beans,’ samphire greens, or sea asparagus. It is a halophyte, which means it can tolerate high salt levels in the soil or water and up to double the seawater concentration in the soil and water. It can extract salt from the soil and store it in its leaves, stems, and seeds. This high salt tolerance is due to its ability to compartmentalize salts in vacuoles and produces suitable solutes. The salt content of Salicornia varies depending on the species and the environment in which it is grown. The primary salt found in Salicornia is sodium chloride (NaCl), which is common table salt.
World Wide Distribution of Salicornia Species
Salicornia is a genus in the family Amaranthaceae. They are native to many parts of the world, as seen in the map above. Genus Salicornia has some 60 species distributed worldwide. It is a small, rapidly growing annual herb.
Different Salicornia Species and their Locations
They grow prostrate to erect ( 10–60 cm), and their simple or branched stems are fleshy or succulent, hairless, and jointed. Salicornia spp. Often start their life cycles in spring as green plants, gradually become reddish-yellow in autumn, and die in winter.
The latest review on Salicornia species published in Foods says, ‘excessive sodium (salt) intake in our diet is a main contributor to hypertension and a major risk factor for cardiovascular illnesses. As a result, research has made great efforts to develop salt alternatives. Salicornia offers a very high potential in the food industry for its promising functional characteristics.’
List of Saltish ( Halohytes) plants found in India
India has a diverse range of ecosystems, including coastal and saline areas where various halophytic plants can be found. Here is a list of some halophytes found in India:
- Salicornia brachiata — Also known as glasswort or samphire, this plant is found in coastal regions and can be used as a vegetable or fodder for animals.
- Suaeda maritima — Also called sea-blite, it grows in saline environments and can be used as fodder or sometimes eaten as a vegetable.
- Atriplex prostrata — Known as spear saltbush or orache, it is used for animal fodder and can be consumed by humans as well.
- Avicennia marina — A species of mangrove found along the Indian coastlines, it helps protect the shorelines from erosion and provides habitat for various organisms.
- Sesuvium portulacastrum — Commonly known as shoreline purslane or sea purslane, it can be found in coastal areas and has edible leaves.
- Cressa cretica — A small, salt-tolerant plant found in coastal areas that is used for medicinal purposes.
- Tamarix gallica — Also known as French tamarisk, this shrub is found in saline environments and can be used as windbreaks or for soil stabilization.
- Spartina alterniflora — Known as smooth cordgrass, it grows in saline marshes and helps in shoreline stabilization.
Salt Consumption — WorldWide
Between 0.18 and 0.23 g/day of sodium must be consumed daily to sustain essential biological functions, and American Heart Association and World Health Organization recommend 1.5g/ day and 2.0 g/day, respectively. A global survey shows that 181 of 187 countries (99.2% of adults) report higher sodium consumption levels than WHO recommendations.
Salicornia Salad
Salicornia is eaten fresh, fermented, cooked, dehydrated, or pickled. Since ancient times, it has been extensively used in coastal regions of Asia, particularly as fermented food and seasoning. Consuming Salicornia is more recent and less common in North American and European markets and is appreciated in the gourmet market.
To develop saltwort as a table salt substitute, the entire saltwort plant is micronized with a pulverizer. The micronized powder is mixed with distilled water and converted into spherical granules using a fluid-bed coater. To enhance this powder’s dispersibility, the micronized powder is mixed with a solution containing several soluble solid saltwort aqueous extract contents made into spherical granules.
Nutrients for Health from Salicornia
A detailed analysis of Salicornia ramosissima and Sarcocornia perennis showed that Sodium(Na), Potassium (K), Magnesium (Mg), Calcium (Ca), and Phosphorus(P) were major minerals, followed by Iron(Fe), Zinc (Zn) and Copper (Cu) which were at minor levels. The values of contaminants Cadmium(Cd), Lead(Pb), and Chromium(Cr)were found at very low levels in the samples. It contains all essential amino acids except tryptophan. Salicornia contains flavonoids, a class of polyphenol compounds found in plants and consumed in the diets of humans. Flavonoids are rich in antioxidant activity and help the body ward off everyday toxins and decrease your risk of some chronic health conditions.
Salicornia is unique for having a salty taste and a smaller quantity of sodium. In addition to minerals, they contain polyunsaturated fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants, which enrich their nutritional profile.
Salicornia species S. herbacea, S. bigelovii, and S. brachiata a good options as salt substitutes.
Besides, Salicornia can be a healthy substitute for salt and an economically valuable vegetable crop cultivated in salt-affected soils where other vegetable plants cannot grow.
Salicornia is a very versatile plant with various applications as plant-based salt, vegetable oil from its seeds, biomass source, and bioremediation of salt-affected lands. If necessary research and development are taken up now, it can be one of the “plants of the future.”
