Evaluation of Individual Glucosinolates, Phytochemical Contents, and Antioxidant Activities under Various Red to Far-Red Light Ratios in Three Brassica Sprouts

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the individual glucosinolate (GSL), total phenol, total flavonoid, and vitamin C content, and antioxidant activity under various light quality condition, mainly focusing on red (R) to farred (FR) light ratios in three Brassica sprouts (radish, Chinese cabbage, and broccoli). Three R/FR ratio of 0.6, 1.3, and 2.0 were exposed to 5-day old sprouts for 48 h in a controlled environment, and the targeted phytochemical contents and antioxidant activities were compared with three separate control plot of dark, fluorescent, and red:blue 8:2 conditions. Total GSL content was highest in broccoli among the cultivars throughout the respective treatments, and increased with the increasing of R/FR ratio in the broccoli sprouts, while the content showed non-significant results in the Chinese cabbage sprouts. The progoitrin, a major GSL in Chinese Cabbage and broccoli, content decreased by upto 38% and 69%, respectively, with decreasing the R/FR ratio compared to the control plots (fluorescent, red:blue 8:2, and dark condition). The contents of phenol, flavonoid, and vitamin C were lowest in dark condition in all the three Brassica sprouts. The total phenol content and antioxidant activities increased with decreasing the R/FR ratio in all the Brassica sprouts, while total flavonoid and vitamin C content showed different patterns depending upon the Brassica sprouts. These results suggest that additional use of FR is expected to improve the functional quality of Brassica sprouts in different ways. Additional key words : Flavonoid, Phenolic compound, Progoitrin, Vitamin C