Varietal differences in yield and fatty acid composition of purslane in greenhouse conditions

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea L.) is a leafy green, distinguished by its
elevated α-linolenic acid (ALA) content. Although cultivated commercially
in parts of Asia, Europe, and Mexico, purslane is often treated as a weed
among conventional farmers. Greenhouse production of purslane is essential
to ensure a year-round supply, yet varietal research has been limited. We
evaluated five commercially available purslane varieties (‘Red Gruner
Microgreen Seed’, ‘Green Purslane’, ‘Scarlet’, ‘French Green Leaf’, and
‘Heirloom Verdolaga’) for growth, biomass, and fatty acid profiles under
greenhouse conditions. We had 3 replications of each treatment (variety).
Each replication was grown in a separate tray. Harvest occurred 52 days
after seeding. Dry biomass was quantified from ten aboveground samples per
replication. Plant height and diameter (measured every three days) were
integrated into a z-score growth index to assess temporal growth dynamics.
For fatty acid profiling, the above-ground tissue of three plants per
replication (nine per treatment) was harvested, shredded, and pooled to
obtain one composite sample per treatment. Samples were immediately frozen
and ground to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle prior to analysis.
The fatty acid content of each variety was analyzed externally by Creative
Proteomics (Shirley, NY, USA) using their standard GC-FID protocol:
samples were extracted using a modified Folch method. This dataset
includes dry weight, z-score, and fatty acid profile data.