Growth temperature and plant age influence on nutritional quality of Amaranthus leaves and seed germination capacity

Abstract

As a leafy vegetable, Amaranthus can be harvested at different stages of plant growth, ranging from young seedlings to the late juvenile stage, but data on the changes in leaf nutritional value with plant age are scanty. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of growth temperature on Amaranthus leaf yield and nutritional quality at different stages of plant growth. Five species, A. hybridus v ar. cruentus, A. hypochondriacus, A. tricolor , A. thunbergii and A. hybridus were comp ared for their response to hot (33/27oC), warm (27/21oC) and cool (21/15oC) temperature regimes (day/night) in separate glassh ouses. Plants were harvested at 20, 40 and 60 d after sowing and leaf yield, minerals (Ca, Pand Fe), total protein content, amino acid (methionine and lysine) content and antioxidant activity (inhibition of linoleic acid oxidation) were determined. Seed yield and germination capacity, during two years of after-ripening, were also determined. Results showed that leaf protein content differed significantly (P < 0.01) between species.

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