Lemna minor: Unlocking the Value of This Duckweed for the Food and Feed Industry
Diana Elena Sosa Gimenez, Felipe Macedo Alves, Miguel A. Prieto, Mariana C. Pedrosa, Sandrina A. Heleno, Lillian Barros, Manuel Feliciano, Márcio Carocho
Abstract
Duckweed (Lemna minor L.) is a small floating aquatic plant that has an important economic impact in several industrial areas. With its high biomass production, reasonable protein content, and resilience to several climates, it has been attracting increasing interest for potential use in animal and human food systems. Historically consumed in southwest Asia, this duckweed is now gaining attention as a potential novel food in Europe. This manuscript explores the contributions of duckweed to various food and feed industries, including aquaculture and livestock, while also pointing out the incipient research carried out for human consumption. Most importantly, it highlights the potential of Lemna minor as a vegetable for future human consumption whether eaten whole or through extraction of its nutrients.