Abstract
The interest in the pre-harvest ultraviolet-B (UV-B) exposure of crops in indoor cultivation has grown consistently, though very little is known about its influence on the nutraceutical quality of microgreens. Flaxseeds constitute a valuable oilseed species, mostly appreciated for their nutritional properties and the presence of health-promoting compounds. Therefore, although scarcely studied, flaxseed sprouts and microgreens might constitute a high-quality food product to be included in a healthy diet. This study aims to unravel the effects of pre-harvest ultraviolet-B irradiation on the nutritional and nutraceutical quality of flaxseed sprouts and microgreens grown under artificial conditions. The UV-B irradiation decreased the biomass and stem length of microgreens. However, the content of total phenolics and flavonoids and the antioxidant capacity were strongly enhanced by the UV-B treatment in both sprouts and microgreens. Among photosynthetic pigments, chlorophyll a, violaxanthin, antheraxanthin, and lutein in sprouts were reduced by the treatment, while chlorophyll b increased in microgreens. In conclusion, our results showed that growing flaxseed sprouts and microgreens in controlled conditions with supplemental UV-B exposure might increase their nutritional and nutraceutical quality, as well as their antioxidant capacity, making them high-quality functional foods.
Highlights
Within recent decades, consumers’ awareness towards foods that can provide concrete benefits for human health has constantly grown thanks to a rise in living standards
Considering the well-known impact of UV-B radiation on plant bioactive compounds and growth performances, the present study aims to unravel the impact of pre-harvest UVB exposure on the productivity of flaxseed sprouts and microgreens and to investigate whether controlled UV-B irradiation could increase the concentration of phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and photosynthetic pigments, and improve the antioxidant capacity
Compared to control, respectively), while the dry weight (DW)/Fresh weight (FW) ratio was not influenced by the treatment
Summary
Consumers’ awareness towards foods that can provide concrete benefits for human health has constantly grown thanks to a rise in living standards. Sprouts and microgreens are gaining an ever-increasing interest due to their great nutraceutical quality, commonly in higher concentrations than their adult counterparts [1]. Their appeal towards consumers for their health-related properties, together with their constantly growing marketability as novel ingredients in upscale restaurants, have attracted the interest of many greenhouse growers
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