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EVEC Microgreens
Cereal and pseudocereal microgreens: Emerging functional foods for human health and sustainability
Whole grain cereals and pseudocereals have long served as staple sources of energy and nutrients. However, their nutritional potential is often limited by
Samiddhi Gunathilake, Supuni Aluthge, Asgar Farahnaky, Shima Jafarzadeh, Mahsa Majzoobi
Journal of Cereal Science · 2025 · https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2025.104259
Abstract
Whole grain cereals and pseudocereals have long served as staple sources of energy and nutrients. However, their nutritional potential is often limited by moderate protein content, low bioavailability of key micronutrients, and anti-nutritional factors such as phytic acid. To enhance their nutritional value and expand their food applications, strategies such as sprouting, fermentation, selective breeding, and thermal processing have been explored. This review highlights microgreening as an emerging approach to transform grains into nutrient-rich ingredients by critically exploring the nutritional, bioactive, and functional properties of cereal (e.g., wheat, sorghum, barley, oats) and pseudocereal (e.g., quinoa, amaranth, chia) microgreens, which exhibit significantly higher levels of protein, minerals, and antioxidants compared to their mature forms. The review also explores key agronomic and environmental factors such as light, temperature, and growth medium, that influence their chemical composition. In addition to their health promoting properties, microgreens contribute to sustainable food systems through space efficient cultivation methods suitable for urban and even extraterrestrial agriculture. Despite their potential, challenges remain in terms of cost, shelf-life, microbial safety, marketing, and standardisation. This review highlights the need for further clinical validation, optimisation of post-harvest technologies, and regulatory frameworks to fully integrate microgreens into functional food markets. Ultimately, cereal and pseudocereal microgreens represent a novel class of functional foods with the potential to address global nutritional deficiencies and support resilient food systems.
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How to credit this work
Samiddhi Gunathilake; Supuni Aluthge; Asgar Farahnaky; Shima Jafarzadeh; Mahsa Majzoobi (2025). Cereal and pseudocereal microgreens: Emerging functional foods for human health and sustainability. Journal of Cereal Science. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2025.104259 Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Hosted by EVEC Athens (microgreens.org.gr). No changes were made to this article. Provided as-is, without warranties. EVEC Athens is not affiliated with, and this copy is not endorsed by, the authors or the publisher.
Explore this on our site
- How to grow it: Amaranth microgreens — growing guide
- How to grow it: Barley microgreens — growing guide
- How to grow it: Chia microgreens — growing guide
- Related reading: Nutritional and sustainability potential of cereal microgreens
- Related reading: International sanitary guidelines for the planting and distribution of microgreens and sprouts
- Related reading: Microgreens and their anti inflammatory antioxidant and preventive potential
- Related reading: Microgreens vs mature versions
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