Enhancement of bioactive compounds in Eruca sativa by seaweed extract

Aqueous extracts from three seaweeds namely Caulerpa prolifera, Turbinaria ornata, and Garcilaria dura were prepared. The three seaweeds were collected and the collection site of the seaweeds was along Hurghada shores, the Red Sea coast of Egypt during autumn 2022. Priming Eruca sativa L. seeds in the aqueous extracts from the three seaweeds resulted in enhancing the germination percentage, particularly with G. dura. Also, priming the seeds in each of the three extracts led to the increase in total phenol, total flavonoids and reduced glutathione (GSH) at different rates. Since the three compounds represent the main non-enzymatic antioxidants in E. sativa, therefore the present results suggest priming seeds of plants in aqueous seaweed extracts before culturing and the method is safe for human health