Biochemical and organoleptic evaluation of lettuce varieties grown under DWC technique of aquaponics

Research study was conducted to evaluate biochemical and organoleptic performance of ten lettuce varieties under deep water culture (DWC) technique of aquaponics. Lettuce varieties Lollo Bionda, Butterhead Green, Oak Leaf Red, Lollo Rossa, Batavia, Catalogna Green, Romain Paris Island Cos, Romain Little Gem, Butterhead, and Oak Leaf Green were selected as treatments. Results obtained during course of study shows that highest chlorophyll content reported in Catalogna Green and ascorbic acid in Lollo Rossa. Highest total N content reported in Catalogna Green, P concentration in Butterhead Green while total K content in variety Romain Little Gem. While nutrient uptake was dominated by Catalogna Green. In organoleptic evaluation Romain Paris Island Cos achieved the highest rating for overall acceptability.

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Total Nitrogen (%): Lollo Bionda vs Butterhead Green vs Oak Leaf Red vs Lollo Rossa vs BataviaClose ×

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Chlorophyll Content (mg/g): Lollo Bionda vs Butterhead Green vs Oak Leaf Red vs Lollo Rossa vs BataviaClose ×

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Introduction

Aquaponics is a sustainable, soil-free farming method that integrates aquaculture and hydroponics. Fish waste provides nutrients source for plants, while plants filter and clean the water for reuse (Surnar et al., 2015) [27] . Beneficial bacteria convert ammonia into plantusable forms, supporting healthy growth. Aquaponics offers efficient water use, space optimization, dual harvests and reduced soil-borne issues (Amrita Sengupta & Banerjee, 2012) [2] . It's particularly useful in areas with limited fertile land. In DWC, roots are submerged in oxygen-rich, nutrient-dense water, fostering growth and yield (Nursyahid et al., 2021) [19] . The stable root environment supports efficient nutrient uptake. This method suits various high value crops like leafy greens and herbs. Lactuca sativa (2n=18), a leafy vegetable in the Asteraceae family, is a self-pollinating species believed to be originated in ancient Egypt and Iran (Kristkova, 2008) [12] . The name lettuce is derived from the Latin lactuca, a reference to the characteristic milky exudate produced upon cutting. The plant flourishes in cool-season conditions, with optimal daytime and nighttime temperatures ranging from 18-25 °C and 10-15 °C, respectively (Ryder, 1998) [24] . Selective breeding has resulted in significant morphological variation in lettuce, encompassing a wide range of colors, shapes and textures. This diversity has facilitated its categorization into distinct types, including butterhead, crisphead, loose-leaf, and romaine along with numerous subtypes and cultivars (Kim et al., 2016; Tudela et al., 2013) [11,30] . From a nutritional point of view, lettuce is notable for its high content of vitamins (A, C, Bcomplex), fiber, and minerals such as calcium, iron, and copper. It also contains significant levels of antioxidants and phenolic compounds, which have been shown to possess antiinflammatory and neuroprotective properties and may help prevent conditions like cancer and heart disease (Kim et al., 2016; Lal et al., 2020) [11,14] . The growing consumption of lettuce in India reflects advancing consumer preferences and an increased emphasis on health-conscious eating habits (Ogden et al., 2007) [20] . Lettuce is ideal for soilless farming due to its fast growth, shallow roots and efficient nutrient use. It thrives in systems like NFT and deep water culture (Johnson et al., 2000) [10] , with reduced pest risks and minimal pesticide needs (Fussy & Papenbrock, 2022) [5] . Its compact form supports space-efficient, year-round production in controlled environments (Gargaro et al., 2023) [6] . Green were selected as treatments. Biochemical parameters, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, moisture, chlorophyll and ascorbic acid content, were analyzed using standard protocols. Organoleptic evaluation was conducted using a nine-point Hedonic scale by a panel of seven judges. Data were statistically analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) as per Panse and Sukhatme (1985) [22] and treatment means were compared using the critical difference at 5% level of significance.

Total nutrient content

Total nitrogen content (%) in plant sample was analysed by Micro Kjeldahl method (Digestion-Distillation) given by Bremner and Mulvaney (1982) [3] . Phosphorus content (%) by vanadomolybdate yellow colour in nitric acid system given by Jackson (1973) [3] . While Potassium content by Flame photometry method (Jackson, 1973) [3] .

Nutrient uptake

Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium uptake (kg/100m 2 ) was calculated using following formula, Nutrient Uptake = Dry matter yield x [Nutrient concentration (%)/100]

Chlorophyll content at harvest

The total chlorophyll content (mg/g) in lettuce leaves was estimated as per the standard procedure given by Sadashivam and Manickam (1992) [25] in terms of mg per gram. The known sample of lettuce was macerated in Mortar and Pestle by using 80% acetone and the absorbance was measured at 645, 652 and 663 nm using instrument Spectrophotometer.

Ascorbic acid content at harvest

Ascorbic acid content (mg/100 g) in lettuce leaves was determined by using Dichlorophenol-Indophenol dye method. In this method sample of known weight is macerated in mortar and pestle with excess of metaphosphoric acid (1:10 w/v), centrifuged and titrated with 2, 6-dichlorophenol-indophenol dye.

Moisture content

Moisture content (%) in different lettuce varieties was obtained by oven dry method and calculated by formula, Moisture content = [(Initial weight-Final weight)/Initial weight] x 100

Organoleptic Evaluation

Fresh samples of lettuce were evaluated organoleptically for colour, texture and aroma with the aid of sensory organs. It was performed by a panel of seven judges using nine-point Hedonic scale (Amerine et al., 1965) [1] .

Results and Discussion

Total Nitrogen Content Significantly highest nitrogen concentration (3.97%) was observed in Catalogna Green, followed by Romain Little Gem (3.69%) and Lollo Bionda (3.65%). Whereas, Oak Leaf Green recorded significantly lowest N concentration (2.29%). Variation in nitrogen content could be associated with the genetic makeup and nutrient use efficiency of particular variety. Significant variation in nitrogen concentration in different varieties in the study is supported by the earlier work of Pooja Dhikale (2022) [23] ; Grzegorzewska et al. (2023) [7] ; Matysiak et al. (2023) [18] ; Paes et al. (2023) [21] ; Tadevosyan et al. (2025) [28] .

Total Phosphorus Content

Phosphorus concentration varied significantly with varieties and ranged from 0.20 to 0.42 percent. The maximum phosphorus content (0.42%) was recorded in the plants of Butterhead Green and minimum amount of phosphorus (0.20%) was reported in plants of Batavia. Similar variation was reported in phosphorus content by Pooja Dhikale (2022) [23] , Grzegorzewska et al. (2023) [7] , Paes et al. (2023) [21] , and Tadevosyan et al. (2025) [28] in lettuce.

Total Potassium Content

Romain Little Gem recorded maximum concentration of potassium (2.18%) while lower concentration was observed in Oak Leaf Green (1.67%). Potassium concentration recorded in the investigation is in close relation with the results by Pooja Dhikale (2022) [23] , Grzegorzewska et al. (2023) [7] , Matysiak et al. (2023) [18] , and Tadevosyan et al. (2025) [28] .

Nitrogen Uptake

Catalogna Green reported significantly highest (0.530 kg) nitrogen uptake. While, lowest nitrogen uptake (0.165 kg) was recorded by Oak Leaf Green. Genetic factors are the primary reason for the variation in nutrient uptake. Each variety has a unique genetic code that determines its root system architecture, affecting its ability to forage for nutrients, and the efficiency of its transporter proteins, which are responsible for absorbing specific nutrients.

Phosphorus Uptake

Catalogna Green recorded significantly highest (0.042 kg) phosphorus uptake, followed by Romain Paris Island cos, and Romain Little Gem (0.037 kg) and significantly lowest uptake (0.015 kg) was recorded by Oak Leaf Green.

Potassium Uptake

Catalogna Green recorded significantly highest potassium uptake (0.276 kg) followed by Romain Paris Island cos (0.250 kg), Romain Little Gem (0.213 kg). While, minimum potassium uptake (0.110 kg) was recorded in variety Butterhead Green. [26] , Thomas et al. (2021) [29] , Pooja Dhikale (2022) [23] , Idelbe et al. (2023) [8] , Lima et al. (2023) [15] , Matysiak et al. (2023) [18] and Maia et al. (2024) [16] in lettuce.

Ascorbic Acid Content at Harvest

Lollo Rossa recorded significantly highest (8.80 mg) ascorbic acid content, followed by Romain Little Gem (7.26 mg), Romain Paris Island cos (6.49 mg) and others.

Results of the experiment were in conformation with results obtained by Mampholo et al. (2016) [17] ; Kumar (2022) [17] ;

Matysiak et al. (2023) [18] ; Paes et al. (2023) [21] ; Tadevosyan et al. (2025) [28] .

Moisture Content

Maximum moisture content (96.06%) was recorded in Butterhead Green, statistically comparable to Romain Little Gem (95.92%), Butterhead (95.65%) and three other varieties whereas, minimum moisture content (93.87%) was observed in plants of Catalogna Green. Variation in moisture content is due to genetic makeup, root structure and water use efficiency of that specific variety. Similar variations for moisture content of different cultivars were also recorded by Kumar (2022) [17] in lettuce and Dalave (2022) [4] in dill crop in their experiments.

Conclusion

Catalogna Green emerged as a top performer, demonstrating the highest levels of chlorophyll and total nitrogen content and dominating nutrient uptake. This suggests its potential as a highly productive and nutrient-dense crop. However, no single variety excelled in all aspects. While Catalogna Green led in several metrics, Lollo Rossa was notable for its high ascorbic acid content, and Romain Little Gem for its high potassium content. Butterhead Green also showed its strength with the highest phosphorus concentration.

In terms of consumer preference, the study found that Romain Paris Island Cos was the most palatable variety, receiving the highest ratings for overall acceptability.

Acknowledgement

I extend my sincere gratitude to my colleagues and the entire staff of the Department of Horticulture, College of Agriculture, Kolhapur, for their invaluable cooperation and intellectual support. I also wish to express my appreciation to the team at the Landcraft Agro-Aquaponics Unit, Hatkanangale, Kolhapur, for their technical assistance and for granting access to their facilities, which were essential for the completion of this research.

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Table 1Close ×

Total N, P and K content of different lettuce varieties

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Variety	Chlorophyll Content (mg/g)	Ascorbic Acid Content (mg/100 g)	Moisture (%)
Lollo Bionda	1.78	2.63	95.29
Butterhead Green	1.47	1.87	96.06
Oak Leaf Red	1.48	5.72	94.63
Lollo Rossa	1.35	8.80	93.90
Batavia	1.67	5.32	94.04
Catalogna Green	2.23	4.95	93.87
Romain Paris Island cos	2.11	6.49	94.57
Romain Little Gem	1.92	7.26	95.92
Butterhead	1.14	1.89	95.65
Oak Leaf Green	1.30	5.34	94.06
SEm(±)	0.03	0.11	0.54
CD at 5%	0.09	0.31	1.60
CV (%)	3.29	3.61	0.99

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Chlorophyll, Ascorbic Acid and Moisture content of

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Variety	Nitrogen Uptake (kg/100 m2)	Phosphorus Uptake (kg/100 m2)	Potassium Uptake (kg/100 m2)
Lollo Bionda	0.217	0.018	0.113
Butterhead Green	0.186	0.027	0.110
Oak Leaf Red	0.244	0.025	0.174
Lollo Rossa	0.325	0.034	0.208
Batavia	0.334	0.023	0.200
Catalogna Green	0.530	0.042	0.276
Romain Paris Island		0.037	0.250
	0.461
cos
Romain Little Gem	0.361	0.037	0.213
Butterhead	0.211	0.033	0.153
Oak Leaf Green	0.165	0.015	0.119
SEm(±)	0.01	0.001	0.01
CD at 5%	0.02	0.002	0.02
CV (%)	4.51	4.97	4.86

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Uptake N, P and K by different lettuce varieties under

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Variety	Colour	Aroma	Crispness	Texture	Overall Acceptability
Lollo Bionda	7.00	6.86	7.29	7.00	7.04
Butterhead Green	6.86	6.86	7.43	7.29	7.11
Oak Leaf Red	6.71	6.86	7.00	7.14	6.93
Lollo Rossa	6.57	6.71	6.86	7.00	6.79
Batavia	7.29	7.00	7.43	7.29	7.25
Catalogna Green	7.14	6.71	7.00	7.00	6.96
Romain Paris Is. Cos	7.86	7.29	7.57	7.57	7.57
Romain Little Gem	6.86	6.86	7.00	6.86	6.89
Butterhead	6.71	6.71	7.14	7.14	6.93
Oak Leaf Green	7.14	7.14	7.00	7.00	7.07

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Ratings obtained by lettuce varieties in organoleptic

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