Introduction: There is a limited understanding of the nutritional properties of rare oilseed plants' microgreens. This study aims to assess the content of selected B vitamins in the microgreens of safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.), camelina (Camelina sativa L.), and black cumin (Nigella sativa L.).
Methods: The plants were grown in a greenhouse and harvested when they had developed one true leaf. The content of vitamins B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, and B9 was determined using high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry and electrospray ionization.
Results: Safflower microgreens exhibited the lowest statistically significant (p≤0.05) vitamin B1 content at 0.15 µg per 100 g of fresh weight (f.w.). Conversely, camelina and black cumin microgreens showed no statistically significant differences, with values of 0.76 and 0.73 µg per 100 g f.w., respectively. For vitamin B2, the concentration ranged from 0.42 to 1.34 µg per 100 g f.w. Camelina had the highest statistically significant content, while no significant differences were observed between safflower and black cumin. In terms of vitamin B6, camelina also contained the highest level at 0.39 µg per 100 g f.w., while safflower had the lowest level at 0.10 µg per 100 g f.w. Regarding vitamin B3, the content varied between 1.58 and 3.50 µg per 100 g f.w. Safflower had the lowest content, and no significant differences were found between camelina and black cumin. Black cumin microgreens had the highest statistically significant contents of vitamins B5, B7, and B9, measured at 3.66, 0.31, and 1.96 µg per 100 g f.w., respectively.
Conclusions: In all of the microgreens tested, the levels of selected B vitamins were present, but generally low. These findings suggest that the plants evaluated do not serve as a significant source of these B vitamins in the human diet.
