From Salt Pan to Saucepan: Salicornia, a Halophytic Vegetable with an Array of Potential Health Benefits - Ekanayake et al., 2023

This Research Paper highlights Salicornia as a versatile halophyte with significant potential as a functional food. The paper outlines Salicornia’s ability to thrive in highly saline and arid environments, making it ideal for cultivation on degraded lands with minimal freshwater use. It explores Salicornia's history as a food crop, its nutritional and phytochemical richness, and its emerging applications in gourmet cuisine, health products, and salt substitutes.

The authors emphasize Salicornia’s high levels of minerals (iron, magnesium, calcium), vitamins (A and C), and dietary fiber. The plant contains over 90 bioactive phytochemicals — including flavonoids, phenolic acids, saponins, and diterpenoids — which provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, and cardioprotective effects. Salicornia is also increasingly consumed in diverse culinary forms: raw, boiled, pickled, in salads, and even in burgers. Its seed oil rivals soy and cotton in oil content and is being studied as a sustainable alternative. The review also covers the growing market for Salicornia-based salt substitutes ("green salt"), which offer lower sodium and higher mineral content.

Background & Importance

The paper explores Salicornia, a salt-tolerant (halophytic) plant capable of thriving in hypersaline environments—ideal for utilizing degraded, saline soils while diversifying agriculture. Historically consumed in certain regions, it’s increasingly gaining attention as a functional and climate-resilient food crop available commercially across countries such as the U.S., UAE, South Korea, and Mexico

🧬 Nutritional & Phytochemical Profile

Salicornia is rich in essential nutrients and bioactive phytochemicals, including antioxidants, glucosinolates, polyphenols, and minerals. These compounds deliver a range of health-promoting effects: antioxidant activity, anti-obesity, anti-diabetes, anti-inflammatory, cardioprotective, and neuroprotective benefits

💡 Agricultural & Food Potential

The authors highlight Salicornia’s twofold value:

1. As a cash crop in saline agriculture, enabling productive use of lands unsuitable for conventional crops.

2. As a functional food, offering unique taste, texture, and therapeutic advantages, appealing to food industries targeting health-conscious consumers

📝 Conclusion & Outlook

In summary, Salicornia stands out as a sustainable, nutritious, and functional food source that addresses both soil salinization challenges and the evolving consumer demand for health-enhancing plant foods. The paper recommends further research to optimize cultivation methods, scale production, and fully explore the therapeutic potential of its bioactive components.

Ekanayake, S., Egodawatta, C., Attanayake, R. N., & Perera, D. (2023). From salt pan to saucepan: Salicornia, a halophytic vegetable with an array of potential health benefits. Food Frontiers, 4, 641–676. https://doi.org/10.1002/fft2.214