Bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity of three biotypes of the sea asparagus Sarcocornia ambigua (Michx.) M.A.Alonso & M.B.Crespo: a halophytic crop for cultivation with shrimp farm effluent

Commercially available sea asparagus of the genera Salicornia and Sarcocornia have shoots rich in minerals and bioactive compounds. However no selection of varieties with desirable nutritional shoot properties are available. In the present study, three biotypes of the sea asparagus Sarcocornia ambigua (Michx.) M.A.Alonso & M.B.Crespo cultivated with saline effluent from a shrimp tank were evaluated for total and individual phenolic compounds, l-ascorbic acid, chlorophyll content and antioxidant capacity (ABTS assay) of fresh vegetative and reproductive (with seeds) segments of their shoots. Total phenolic content of biotypes ranged, on average, from 745 to 1586 mg GAE 100 g− 1 fw. The flavonoids kaempferol and quercetin, followed by gallic acid and other hydroxybenzoic acids were the major phenolic compounds found in S. ambigua. Highest individual contents of phenolic compounds occurred in the reproductive segments of the red biotype (ranging from 186 to 365 mg 100 g− 1 fw). The green biotype showed higher average values of Chl a and Chl a + b (up to 223 and 283 μg g− 1 fw, respectively) than the other biotypes. Biotypes showed similar contents of l-ascorbic acid with higher concentration in vegetative tissues (46 to 65 mg 100 g− 1 fw). Shoot antioxidant activity ranged between 3.4 and 4.9 mmol TEAC 100 g− 1 fw, and was positively correlated with the gallic acid content (r = 0.752) and total phenolic acids (r = 0.670). Within biotype, reproductive tissues were richer in total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity. Different colour biotypes of S. ambigua rich in bioactive compounds may be selected with desirable shoot properties for potential for use as additives in the food industry.