Abstract
The aim of the presented study was to determine the effect of foliar application of CaCl<sub>2</sub> on the level of β-carotene, lutein, tocopherols and phenolic compounds in the leaves of lettuce cv. Omega (<i>Lactuca sativa</i> L.). The experiments were conducted in the greenhouse of the Faculty of Cultivation and Fertilisation of Horticultural Plants, University of Life Sciences in Lublin. During the growing period, 7 and 14 days before harvest, the plants were treated with a solution of CaCl<sub>2</sub> with concentrations of 0.1 M and 0.2 M. Plants sprayed with water were the control treatment in the experiment. Analyses were performed on whole leaves and the blade without midrib. The obtained results indicate that the leaves of lettuce cv. Omega are a good source of phenolic compounds, carotenoids and tocopherols. The dominant carotenoid in lettuce cv. Omega was β-carotene. Foliar application of CaCl<sub>2</sub> on the plants did not have any significant effect on the level of β-carotene and lutein in the whole leaves. The contents of tocopherols, total phenolic compounds and chlorogenic acid were dependent on the concentration of CaCl<sub>2</sub>. The application of 0.1 M CaCl<sub>2</sub> solution in the plants resulted in a decrease in the level of total phenolic compounds and chlorogenic acid, and an increase in tocopherol content. However, the treatment of the plants with 0.2M CaCl<sub>2</sub> solution caused a lowering of the concentration of tocopherols and an increase in the content of chlorogenic acid and total phenolic compounds.
Highlights
In recent years, there has been a continuous increase in the consumption of leafy vegetables, which is a result of changes in the lifestyle of consumers (Ragaert et al 2004; Ferrante and Maggiore, 2007; Martin - Diana et al 2007)
One series was given foliar feeding in the form of spraying with CaCl2 solution at a concentration of 0.1 M (Ca1), another one with a solution with a concentration of 0.2 M (Ca2), which corresponded to 55 mg and 110 mg per plant, respectively, while the third series comprised control plants sprayed with water
E-Carotene was eluted as the first carotenoid with petroleum ether used as the mobile phase, and the second one was lutein eluted with a 5% (v/v) solution of acetone in petroleum ether (Perucka, 1996)
Summary
There has been a continuous increase in the consumption of leafy vegetables, which is a result of changes in the lifestyle of consumers (Ragaert et al 2004; Ferrante and Maggiore , 2007; Martin - Diana et al 2007). Carotenoids are a group of natural pigments whose importance is related to reducing the risk of occurrence of degenerative diseases, such as cancers, cardiovascular disorders, cataract, and macular degeneration They are sensitive to the effect of numerous factors, such as light and heat (H a r t and Scott , 1995) as well as growth conditions (Kimura and Rodriguez - Amaya , 2003; Caldwell and Britz , 2006). The objective of the study presented here was to determine the effect of CaCl2 applied on lettuce at the phase of growth on its quality expressed by the contents of E-carotene, lutein, tocopherols and phenolic compounds and their antioxidant activities
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