Sulfur bentonite‐organic‐based fertilizers as tool for improving bio‐compounds with antioxidant activities in red onion

BACKGROUND Red onion is popular in cuisines worldwide and is valued for its potential medicinal properties. Red onion is an important source of several phytonutrients such as flavonoids, thiosulfinates and other sulfur compounds, recognized as important elements of the diet. Nowadays, there is the need of producing food enriched in health benefit compounds. In this study, pads of sulfur bentonite (SB) with the addition of orange residue (OR) or olive pomace (OP) were used to improve the quality of red onion. The experiment was conducted for 3 months in the field to evaluate the phytochemicals of differently amended red onion. RESULTS Treated plants were better in quality than controls. Antioxidant activity, detected as DPPH, ORAC and ABTS, was highest in plants grown in the presence of SB enriched with agricultural wastes, particularly SB‐OR. Polyphenols increased in all treated plants. The volatile fraction was clearly dominated by sulfur compounds that are strictly related to the concentration of the aroma precursors S‐alkenyl cysteine sulfoxides. The greater amount of thiosulfinates in treated compared with untreated onion evidenced that SB pelletized with agricultural wastes can represent a new formulation of organic fertilizer able to improve the beneficial properties of onion. The results highlighted that the best red onion quality was obtained using SB‐OR pads. CONCLUSION The use of SB bound with agricultural wastes represents a novel strategy to increase bio‐compounds with beneficial effects on human health, to enhance the medical and economic values of sulfur‐loving crops, with important consequences on the bio and green economy. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry