Assessment of the content of selected B vitamins in the microgreens of rare oilseed plants.

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.