# Use of _Chlorella vulgaris_ and _Ulva lactuca_ as Biostimulant on Lettuce
## 3 Results and Discussion
### Chemical Composition
#### 3.3.2 Lettuce Chemical Composition  
The lettuce plant dry matter content was analyzed after the treatments with algal extracts (Table 4). The ash values were mostly similar between the different lettuce treated samples, but it is interesting to note that the lettuce treated with 25% extract dilution of _U. lactuca_ had the lowest ash value. More visible differences were observed in the iron (Fe) content, which was higher in lettuce treated with 15% _C. vulgaris_ compared to the control and other  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline  & \multicolumn{4}{c}{**Dry Matter**} \\ \hline  & **Control** & **15\%** _C. vulgaris_ & **25\%** _U. lactuca_ & **75\%** _U. lactuca_ \\ \hline ASHES (g/100 g) & 23.20 \(\pm\) 0.26 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 22.90 \(\pm\) 0.09 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 21.35 \(\pm\) 0.73 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 22.59 \(\pm\) 0.09 \({}^{\text{a}}\) \\ \hline FATS (g/100 g) & 3.37 \(\pm\) 0.15 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 2.98 \(\pm\) 0.06 \({}^{\text{a,b}}\) & 2.75 \(\pm\) 0.03 \({}^{\text{b}}\) & 3.13 \(\pm\) 0.06 \({}^{\text{a}}\) \\ \hline FIBER (g/100 g) & 14.42 \(\pm\) 0.15 \({}^{\text{a,b}}\) & 14.58 \(\pm\) 0.13 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 14.18 \(\pm\) 0.04 \({}^{\text{a,b}}\) & 14.03 \(\pm\) 0.10 \({}^{\text{b}}\) \\ \hline PROTEINS (g/100 g) & 24.07 \(\pm\) 0.17 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 20.51 \(\pm\) 0.19 \({}^{\text{b}}\) & 21.10 \(\pm\) 0.04 \({}^{\text{a,b}}\) & 21.71 \(\pm\) 0.04 \({}^{\text{a,b}}\) \\ \hline NON-NITROGEN EXTRACTIVES (g/100 g) & 34.94 \(\pm\) 0.09 \({}^{\text{b}}\) & 39.02 \(\pm\) 0.09 \({}^{\text{a,b}}\) & 40.62 \(\pm\) 0.76 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 38.54 \(\pm\) 0.09 \({}^{\text{a,b}}\) \\ \hline ENERGY (Kcal/100 g) & 266 \(\pm\) 0.34 \({}^{\text{a,b}}\) & 265 \(\pm\) 0.57 \({}^{\text{b}}\) & 272 \(\pm\) 2.94 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 269 \(\pm\) 1.04 \({}^{\text{a,b}}\) \\ \hline ENERGY (KJ/100 g) & 1115 \(\pm\) 1.40 \({}^{\text{a,b}}\) & 1109 \(\pm\) 2.37 \({}^{\text{  
treatments. The extract of this green algae had less Fe but influenced its production in the lettuce leaves. A relevant result observed was the zinc (Zn) content which, in plants treated with 75% _U. lactuca_, was impressively high, about 93% more than with the other extracts (Table 3). The 75% _U. lactuca_ had more impact on the lettuce fiber and in non-nitrogen extractives yield, where the control had more protein and fats in comparison to the algae extracts. The control added higher protein and fats and lowered iron content when compared to the other samples. The algae extracts appear to not be morphological biostimulating, where only the 15% _C. vulgaris_ extract demonstrated to produce some difference in the root weigh and lettuce aerial diameter (not statistically different). Where U. latuca extracts appear to produce more leaf biomass, the extract appears to stimulate a different nutritional profile that needs to be considered. The application of 15% _C. vulgaris_ extract is the most acceptable for lettuce plant production under a controlled environment; these extracts produced the heatliest plants in terms of mineral composition and fiber yield, where 25% _U. latuca_ was more significant in terms of lettuce production based on low fat and high carbohydrate content, thus, producing high energetic vegetables (1137 Kj/ 100 g). According to [PERSON] et al. [29], Na, K, Ca, P, and Mg fit in the range of values that generally characterizes lettuce crops. This is also suggested in a study by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [30], where the common nutrient range of minerals in crops are reported and, for lettuce, the average values described are in accordance with the measured values detailed in the present study regarding P, K, N, Ca, and Mg in each treated lettuce and control. Zn is included in the range of 30-50 mg/Kg--the reported range in the mentioned study--for the control, 15% _C. vulgaris_ and 25% _U. lactuca_, but this was not true of 75% _U. lactuca_, where zinc content was highly above this range. A quantity of zinc above 300 mg/Kg in plants is usually toxic, so 531.80 mg/Kg makes the lettuce treated with 75% dilution of _U.