## 3 Results
### Halimione portulacoides Fatty Acids Profile  
In the extracted oil of _H. portulacoides_ were identified fourteen different fatty acids. The results obtained (see Tables 1 and 2) showed that the most representative polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the edible parts, considering cultured and wild halophytes was the ALA fatty acid. In detail, ALA content in edible part was 5.29, 7.11 and 5.11 mg mg\({}^{-1}\) DW for cultured halophytes and 7.32, 2.05 and 4.03 mg mg\({}^{-1}\) DW for wild halophytes for spring, summer and autumn, respectively. The roots of cultured and wild halophytes showed linoleic acid (LA, 18:2\(n\)-6) as the most abundant PUFA, with 3.18, 1.91 and 3.42 mg mg\({}^{-1}\) DW cultured halophytes and 1.43, 1.27 and 0.96 mg\({}^{-1}\) DW for wild halophytes during the spring, summer, and autumn, respectively. Oleic acid (18:1\(n\)-9) was the most representative monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) with similar concentrations in both edible parts and in the roots. The content of 18:1\(n\)-9 in edible parts was 0.78, 1.10 and 0.81 mg mg\({}^{-1}\) DW and 0.34, 0.45, and 0.79 mg mg\({}^{-1}\) DW in the roots in aquaonics systems. Wild specimens showed a different trend with 1.57, 0.64, and 0.67 mg mg\({}^{-1}\) DW in the edible part and 0.43, 0.46, and 0.27 mg mg\({}^{-1}\) DW in the roots, during the spring, summer, and autumn, respectively. The most representative saturated fatty acid (SFA), considering the edible parts and roots, was palmitic acid (16:0) in both cultured and wild halophytes. \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Fatty Acids**} & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Aquaponics**} \\ \cline{2-7}  & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Edible Plant Part**} & \multicolumn{3}{c}{**Root**} \\ \cline{2-7}  & **Spring** & **Summer** & **Autumn** & **Spring** & **Summer** & **Autumn** \\ \hline
**16:0** & 1.82 \(\pm\) 0.11 & 2.35 \(\pm\) 0.10 & 1.81 \(\pm\) 0.04 & 1.64 \(\pm\) 0.12 & 1.49 \(\pm\) 0.10 & 2.01 \(\pm\) 0.07 \\ \hline
**18:0** & 0.10 \(\pm\) 0.01 & 0.15 \(\pm\) 0.01 & 0.12 \(\pm\) 0.00 & 0.08 \(\pm\) 0.00 & 0.08 \(\pm\) 0.01 & 0.12 \(\pm\) 0.01 \\ \hline
**20:0** & 0.06 \(\pm\) 0.00 & 0.08 \(\pm\) 0.00 & 0.08 \(\pm\) 0.00 & 0.04 \(\pm\) 0.00 & 0.05 \(\pm\) 0.00 & 0.12 \(\pm\) 0.01 \\ \hline
**22:0** & 0.12 \(\pm\) 0.00 & 0.20 \(\pm\) 0.01 & 0.26 \(\pm\) 0.01 & 0.17 \(\pm\) 0.02 & 0.21 \(\pm\) 0.02 & 0.38 \(\pm\) 0.02 \\ \hline
**24:0** & 0.39 \(\pm\) 0.02 & 0.51 \(\pm\) 0.09 & 0.57 \(\pm\) 0.02 & 0.17 \(\pm\) 0.01 & 0.14 \(\pm\) 0.01 & 0.28 \(\pm\) 0.01 \\ \hline \(\sum\)SFA & 2.49 \(\pm\) 0.14 & 3.29 \(\pm\) 0.21 & 2.84 \(\pm\) 0.07 & 2.10 \(\pm\) 0.15 & 1.97 \(\pm\) 0.14 & 2.91 \(\pm\) 0.12 \\ \hline
**16:1\(n\)-7** & ND & ND & ND & 0.09 \(\pm\) 0.01 & 1.29 \(\pm\) 0.11 & 0.77 \(\pm\) 0.02 \\ \hline
**16:1\(n\)-9** & 0.17 \(\pm\) 0.01 & 0.20 \(\pm\) 0.01 & 0.12 \(\pm\) 0.00 & ND & ND & ND \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: Fatty acid profile (mg mg\({}^{-1}\) DW) of aquaonics _Halimione portulacoides_ in edible plant parts and roots biomass in spring, summer and autumn. Values are averages 3 replicates \(\pm\) standard deviation. ND: fatty acid not detected. Saturated fatty acids (SFA): 16:0, 18:0, 20:0, 22:0, 24:0. Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA): 16:1\(n\)-7; 16:1\(n\)-9; 18:1\(n\)-9; 18:1\(n\)-7; 20:1\(n\)-7. Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA): 16:3\(n\)-3; 18:2\(n\)-6; 18:3\(n\)-3; 20:2\(n\)-6.