Date of Defense
4-6-2025 2:00 PM
Location
F1, 2120
Document Type
Thesis Defense
Degree Name
Master of Science in Horticulture
College
College of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine
Department
Integrative Agriculture
First Advisor
Dr. Zeinab Ahmed
Keywords
Ghaf microgreens; ZnO nanoparticles; Seed priming; Nutritional enhancement
Abstract
Providing enough food for a growing global population is not only a significant issue for the future but also millions of people worldwide suffer from hidden hunger. Microgreens are renowned for their dense nutrient profile, and higher vitamin levels, minerals, and antioxidants than mature plants. Despite the burgeoning interest in microgreens, the availability of diverse and locally relevant varieties remains limited in many regions, including the UAE. This gap in the availability of indigenous microgreens presents an opportunity to explore alternative sources of nutritious greens tailored to the local environment. Among the indigenous flora of the UAE, the Ghaf (Prosopis cineraria) plant stands out as a promising candidate for microgreen production, owing to its nutritional richness and ecological resilience. Traditionally, the ghaf leaf is consumed by nearly all humans and livestock. This study explored the potential of producing a microgreen from the ghaf seed and investigated leveraging nanotechnology through seed priming to bolster the resilience and productivity of ghaf microgreen and enhance its nutritional value. ZnO nanoparticle-seed priming enhanced seed germination percentage and stimulated parameters of seedling growth of the roots and shoots. The antioxidant capacity as the content of phenolics and flavonoids were also increased in the ghaf microgreens. Variations in individual phenolic compounds such as sinapic acid, gallic acid, benzoic acid, rutin hydrate were observed with the highest expression of the sinapic acid in the leaves. Furthermore, ZnO nanoparticle treatment stimulated protein synthesis in both seeds and microgreens. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the physiological and nutritional responses of Ghaf seeds and plants to ZnO nanoparticle treatment, laying the groundwork for further research on nanoparticle-based strategies for enhancing crop productivity, nutritional value. The potential impact of the research is to provide innovative and future food from available UAE native plants for sustainable food security.
Included in
GHAF MICROGREEN: A NOVEL FUNVTIONAL FOOD WITH IMPROVED NUTRITIONAL CONTENT USING NANOPARTICLES-SEED PRIMING
F1, 2120
Providing enough food for a growing global population is not only a significant issue for the future but also millions of people worldwide suffer from hidden hunger. Microgreens are renowned for their dense nutrient profile, and higher vitamin levels, minerals, and antioxidants than mature plants. Despite the burgeoning interest in microgreens, the availability of diverse and locally relevant varieties remains limited in many regions, including the UAE. This gap in the availability of indigenous microgreens presents an opportunity to explore alternative sources of nutritious greens tailored to the local environment. Among the indigenous flora of the UAE, the Ghaf (Prosopis cineraria) plant stands out as a promising candidate for microgreen production, owing to its nutritional richness and ecological resilience. Traditionally, the ghaf leaf is consumed by nearly all humans and livestock. This study explored the potential of producing a microgreen from the ghaf seed and investigated leveraging nanotechnology through seed priming to bolster the resilience and productivity of ghaf microgreen and enhance its nutritional value. ZnO nanoparticle-seed priming enhanced seed germination percentage and stimulated parameters of seedling growth of the roots and shoots. The antioxidant capacity as the content of phenolics and flavonoids were also increased in the ghaf microgreens. Variations in individual phenolic compounds such as sinapic acid, gallic acid, benzoic acid, rutin hydrate were observed with the highest expression of the sinapic acid in the leaves. Furthermore, ZnO nanoparticle treatment stimulated protein synthesis in both seeds and microgreens. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the physiological and nutritional responses of Ghaf seeds and plants to ZnO nanoparticle treatment, laying the groundwork for further research on nanoparticle-based strategies for enhancing crop productivity, nutritional value. The potential impact of the research is to provide innovative and future food from available UAE native plants for sustainable food security.