Asteraceae Microgreens: Diverse Flavours and Health Advantages
摘要
In the past few years, microgreens have emerged as a superfood due to their nutritional and functional properties, and demand for functional or healthy foods is increasing with high popularity. This term, microgreen, resembles vegetable greens, having two juvenile true leaves and cotyledon leaves with a small stem obtained from the seed. Among microgreens, the Asteraceae family has among the widest varieties of vegetables, including lettuce, radicchio, chicory, endive, tarragon, artichoke, Coreopsis spp., dahlia, safflower, and sunflower, and plants with medicinal properties, such as dandelion. These types of microgreens offer a wide variety of flavours with a higher range of vitamins, minerals and natural antioxidants. Further microgreens from the Asteraceae family also include many phytochemicals, such as natural pigments, polyphenols, carotenoids and ascorbic acid, with therapeutic properties, including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective and antioxidant activities. This chapter explores the unique nutritional profile of microgreens from the Asteraceae family, their secondary metabolites and bioactive compounds, their health-promoting properties, their applications and their utilisation trends as emerging nutrient-dense food. Further, this chapter highlights the wide variety of the flavours and nutrients of Asteraceae microgreens, with various properties that enable sustainability through easy cultivation for health-conscious individuals, promoting balanced and healthy diet approaches.