Environmental Modulation of the Lipophilic Profile of the Edible Salicornia perennis: Nutritional and Agricultural Insights

Abstract

Halophytes are plants uniquely adapted to saline environments and offer potential applications in the food industry. This study evaluates the perennial halophyte Salicornia perennis as a source of lipophilic compounds with nutritional relevance. The lipophilic profile of S. perennis, collected from three distinct salt marshes in Portugal, was established to uncover its nutritional potential. Lipophilic constituents were extracted and analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. An integrated relative stress level, based on sedimentary and hydrodynamic conditions, characterized the environmental context of each sampling site. Statistical analyses revealed significant variation in the chemical profile across sites, highlighting the capacity of S. perennis to adjust its nutritional composition to different salt-marsh microhabitats. These results indicate biochemical plasticity in response to distinct salt-marsh microhabitats. At the lower-stress, sandy, better-drained Mira microhabitat, plants accumulated higher concentrations of unsaturated fatty acids, sterols, and fatty alcohols. In contrast, the more waterlogged, clay-rich Ílhavo microhabitat showed higher levels of sugars and saturated lipids, whereas São Jacinto showed a distinct profile enriched in small organic acids and β-sitosterol. These findings support the potential of S. perennis as an edible halophyte and candidate crop for saline agriculture, while showing that local sedimentary and hydrodynamic conditions modulate its lipophilic nutritional profile.