Characterization of Patagonian Salicornia: nutritional, sensory and microbiological aspects

Halophytic plants offer an alternative for food production by using species adapted to high salinity, such as Salicornia. Salicornia magellanica, in Tierra del Fuego, and Salicornia neei, in the provinces of Chubut and southwestern Buenos Aires, are species widely distributed across the coastal marine intertidal plains and inland saline lagoons of the Patagonian territory. Studies conducted in natural Patagonian environments allowed for the analysis of their spatial distribution, plant productivity, and cultivation methods, both in open fields and in pots for home gardens, using seawater or saline wastewater from the fishing industry. These efforts aim to diversify agricultural production for human consumption and forage for ruminant livestock. This halophytic plant has proven to be a high-quality food, with 60% of its fatty acid content in the form of essential omega-3 and omega-6, a protein content ranging from 6% to 10%, and high levels of complex salts. Its cultivation is viable in both coastal areas and domestic settings with minimal seawater supply. In the studied region, between 70,000 and 100,000 hectares of salt marshes with Salicornia were estimated, with yields ranging from 15 to 40 tons per hectare of fresh product. Moreover, as summer forage, it has been used in mixed pastures with Puccinellia, Suaeda, Agropyron, or Atriplex, for the production of sheep and cattle with low cholesterol levels. Preliminary results from evaluations on the health effects of Salicornia consumption have been promising. Indicators such as an increase in HDL (good cholesterol) showed significant differences between the beginning and end of intake.