A nutritious, functional food from a UAE native plant: A sustainable solution for future food security
Shaima MISBAH, Reem AL OTHMAN, Mahmoud A. K. ABDALLA, Mariam A. S. ALSAEDI, Zienab F. R. AHMED
Abstract. Introducing novel microgreens from the UAE-native ghaf plant into culinary traditions enriches dishes with nutrients and addresses sustainability challenges related to nutritional security. Microgreens are renowned for their dense nutrient profile compared with mature plants. This study investigated the potential of leveraging nanotechnology to enhance the resilience and productivity of ghaf microgreens and enhance their economic and nutritional values. Using ZnO-NPs at a concentration of 500 ng/mL significantly stimulated the germination of ghaf seed, which peaked after 5 days (93%) compared with the control (22%). Analysis of mineral content revealed a considerable increase in the majority of the essential nutrients, particularly Zn, which increased by 9–10-fold in treated seeds and microgreens compared with the control. This research aligns with UAE’s vision for 2050 and SDG 2 zero hunger by harnessing the nutritional abundance of Ghaf microgreens to enhance food security worldwide.
Keywords
Native Plant, Prosopis Cineraria, Antioxidant, Seed Germination, Future Food, Microgreen
Published online 6/20/2026, 5 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Shaima MISBAH, Reem AL OTHMAN, Mahmoud A. K. ABDALLA, Mariam A. S. ALSAEDI, Zienab F. R. AHMED, A nutritious, functional food from a UAE native plant: A sustainable solution for future food security, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 67, pp 617-621, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904176-82
The article was published as article 82 of the book Climate Action and Sustainability
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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