Iodine Biofortification Counters Micronutrient Deficiency and Improve Functional Quality of Open Field Grown Curly Endive
Leo Sabatino,
Francesca Di Gaudio,
Beppe Benedetto Consentino,
Youssef Rouphael,
Christophe El-Nakhel,
Salvatore La Bella,
Sonya Vasto,
Rosario Paolo Mauro,
Fabio D’Anna,
Giovanni Iapichino,
Rosalia Caldarella,
Claudio De Pasquale
Affiliations
Leo Sabatino
Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali (SAAF), University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze, ed. 5, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Francesca Di Gaudio
Department of Promoting Health, Maternal-Infant, Excellence and Internal and Specialized Medicine (ProMISE) G. D’Alessandro, University of Palermo, 90127 Palermo, Italy
Beppe Benedetto Consentino
Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali (SAAF), University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze, ed. 5, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Youssef Rouphael
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
Christophe El-Nakhel
Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, 80055 Portici, Italy
Salvatore La Bella
Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali (SAAF), University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze, ed. 5, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Sonya Vasto
Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Rosario Paolo Mauro
Dipartimento di Agricoltura, Alimentazione e Ambiente (Di3A), University of Catania, Via Valdisavoia, 5, 95123 Catania, Italy
Fabio D’Anna
Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali (SAAF), University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze, ed. 5, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Giovanni Iapichino
Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali (SAAF), University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze, ed. 5, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Rosalia Caldarella
Department of Laboratory Medicine, “P. Giaccone” University Hospital, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Claudio De Pasquale
Dipartimento Scienze Agrarie, Alimentari e Forestali (SAAF), University of Palermo, viale delle Scienze, ed. 5, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Human iodine (I) shortage disorders are documented as an imperative world-wide health issue for a great number of people. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends I consumption through ingestion of seafood and biofortified food such as vegetables. The current work was carried out to appraise the effects of different I concentrations (0, 50, 250, and 500 mg L−1), supplied via foliar spray on curly endive grown in the fall or spring–summer season. Head fresh weight, stem diameter, head height, and soluble solid content (SSC) were negatively correlated to I dosage. The highest head dry matter content was recorded in plants supplied with 250 mg I L−1, both in the fall and spring–summer season, and in those cultivated in the fall season and supplied with 50 mg I L−1. The highest ascorbic acid concentration was recorded in plants cultivated in the spring–summer season and biofortified with the highest I dosage. The highest fructose and glucose concentrations in leaf tissues were obtained in plants cultivated in the spring–summer season and treated with 250 mg I L−1. Plants sprayed with 250 mg I L−1 and cultivated in the fall season had the highest I leaf concentration. Overall, our results evidently suggested that an I application of 250 mg L−1 in both growing seasons effectively enhanced plant quality and functional parameters in curly endive plants.
