Food Chemistry: X (Oct 2023)

Elicitation with hydrogen peroxide promotes growth, phenolic-enrichment, antioxidant activity and nutritional values of two hydroponic lettuce genotypes

  • Weixuan Wang,
  • Zikun Lin,
  • Weiran Wang,
  • Meixin Shang,
  • Haofeng Lv,
  • Quanli Zong,
  • Junliang Li,
  • Bin Liang,
  • Weiwei Zhou

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 19
p. 100847

Abstract

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Dietary vegetables rich in bioactive compounds are major responsible for promoting human health. Herein, the effect of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), an important signaling compound, on growth and quality of two hydroponic lettuce genotypes was investigated. The maximum enhancement of growth traits was shown in lettuce elicited with 10 mmol/L H2O2, while 40 mmol/L H2O2 significantly reduced above growth traits. H2O2 elicitation increased pigment contents and photosynthetic process, which consequently caused enhancements of phenolic compounds, ascorbic acid, glutathione, carotenoids, soluble sugars, free amino acids, soluble protein, minerals, and antioxidant capacity, while above alterations appeared in a genotype-dependent manner. The phenolic accumulation was correlated with improved activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and expression levels of genes related to phenolic biosynthesis, including PAL, chalcone synthase, flavanone 3-hydroxylase, dihydroflavonol-4 reductase, and UDP-glucose: flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase. Therefore, elicitation with H2O2 is a promising strategy to develop lettuce with high bioactive compounds and biomass.

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