{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]],"date-time":"2026-09-07T05:11:37Z","timestamp":1788757897044,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":53,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]],"date-time":"2026-09-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1788739200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Nutr."],"abstract":"<jats:p>\n                    <jats:italic>Dasispermum suffruticosum<\/jats:italic>\n                    (P. J. Bergius) B. L. Burtt is an aromatic halophyte recognized for its diverse phytochemistry and medicinal plant potential. Despite its potential value, limited scientific information is available regarding its agronomic performance and phytochemical responses. This study investigated the morphological, mineral, and phytochemical responses of\n                    <jats:italic>D. suffruticosum<\/jats:italic>\n                    to gradient dosages of StimBlue\n                    <jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup>\n                    , a seaweed-derived biostimulant, applied via foliar spray (2.5, 5.0, and 7.5\u202fmL\/L) and growing-medium drenching (5.0, 7.0, and 9.0\u202fmL\/L), alongside an NPK fertiliser control. Two sequential trials were conducted under semi-controlled glasshouse conditions using a Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD). Morphological parameters and mineral uptake were assessed over 12\u202fweeks, while phytochemical analyses, including (TPC), and antioxidant capacity (ABTS, FRAP, and DPPH) were conducted for 10\u202fweeks on the three best-performing treatments following the first trial. Growing medium drench at 7.0\u202fmL\/L (T5) produced significantly higher stem diameter (1.24\u202fmm), plant height (7.29\u202fcm), number of leaves (8.87), and chlorophyll content (1.30\u202fmg\/ m\n                    <jats:sup>2<\/jats:sup>\n                    ) than the control (\n                    <jats:italic>p<\/jats:italic>\n                    \u202f\u2264\u202f0.05), while foliar spray at 2.5\u202fmL\/L (T1) recorded the highest root development. StimBlue\n                    <jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup>\n                    treatments showed descriptively higher concentrations of several minerals including leaf K, Mg, Ca, Na, Fe and Zn compared with the control. T1 also recorded the highest TPC (20.25 and 8.71\u202fmg GAE\/g DW) and ABTS (171.32 and 122.90\u202f\u03bcmol TE\/g DW), FRAP (110.86 and 63.62\u202f\u03bcmol AAE\/g DW), DPPH (68.14 and 43.77\u202f\u03bcmol TE\/g DW), in leaves and roots, respectively. These findings provide preliminary baseline phytochemical and mineral data for\n                    <jats:italic>D. suffruticosum<\/jats:italic>\n                    and indicate its potential as a candidate functional food, with low-dose foliar StimBlue\n                    <jats:sup>+<\/jats:sup>\n                    application emerging as a promising treatment warranting further investigation, including replicated trials and targeted bioactive compound characterisation, before nutraceutical application can be confirmed.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3389\/fnut.2026.1885424","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]],"date-time":"2026-09-07T04:23:50Z","timestamp":1788755030000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["StimBlue+\u2212\u202fmediated modulation of growth and phytochemical traits in Dasispermum suffruticosum for sustainable nutrition and health"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Zimbini","family":"Soganga","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agronomy, University of Fort Hare","place":["Alice, South Africa"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hildegard","family":"Witbooi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agronomy, University of Fort Hare","place":["Alice, South Africa"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","volume-title":"Africa Overview of Food Security and Nutrition","year":"2019"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"877","DOI":"10.3390\/foods13060877","article-title":"An alarming decline in the nutritional quality of foods: the biggest challenge for future generations\u2019 health","volume":"13","author":"Bhardwaj","year":"2024","journal-title":"Foods"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"315","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jtemb.2008.07.002","article-title":"Evidence of decreasing mineral density in wheat grain over the last 160 years","volume":"22","author":"Fan","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Trace Elem Med Biol"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.22159\/ajpcr.2026v19i7.56484","article-title":"A review of Dasispermum suffruticosum (Apiaceae): traditional uses, phytochemical potential, and prospects for food security in the eastern cape, South Africa","volume":"19","author":"Ngemntu","year":"2026","journal-title":"Asian J Pharm Clin Res"},{"key":"ref5","first-page":"27591","article-title":"Unravelling the rooting response of the underutilized wild herb, Dasispermum suffruticosum (P.J. 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