Seawater cultivated spinach: effect of boiling and steaming on total phenolic, sodium and potassium content.

Freshwater is not distributed evenly, and in many regions around the world, such as the Sub-Sahara region and the Sub-Indian continent, water is seriously scarce or heavily contaminated. Seawater farming addresses the severe lack of freshwater for agricultural activities in coastal regions, as agriculture is currently using the 70% of total freshwater. Seawater use for growing crops has long been studied; while an agriculture based on pure seawater is currently impossible, seawater hydroponics may be viable, not aggravating salinization problems in soils. This work aimed at assessing the total polyphenolic components and sodium and potassium content of spinach grown with 2 seawater and freshwater blends (i.e. 10%-20% of seawater), and how they varied upon different cooking processes (i.e. boiling and steaming).