The Influence of Different LED Light Treatments on the Growth and Salt Stress Tolerance of Cauliflower Microgreens <i>In Vitro</i>

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of different LED lights on the growth of cauliflower microgreens and to determine which combination of LED light best increases tolerance to salt stress and promotes the growth and accumulation of secondary antioxidants in the presence of salt stress in vitro. Plants were grown in a growth chamber under different LED light treatments (red light, blue light, a combination of red and blue light, and cool white light) and in MS media with different NaCl concentrations (0, 50, and 100 mM). The effects of the different light qualities and salt stress conditions on growth, content of photosynthetic pigment, flavonoids, phenol, proline, and antioxidant enzyme activity were measured. The best treatments for microgreen development, according to the data, were those that combined red and blue light. In addition to increasing stress tolerance and enabling plant growth at a lower salt concentration (50 mM NaCl), the combination of blue and red light also enhanced the synthesis and accumulation of secondary metabolites and the antioxidant potential of microgreens grown in vitro, which may have nutritional and pharmaceutical value.

Keywords

• cauliflower
• LED lights
• photosynthetic pigments
• phenols
• flavonoids
• salt stress