Blue and UV-A light wavelengths positively affected the accumulation of healthy compound profiles in pak-choi

Pak-choi, a major leafy vegetable cultivated worldwide, is rich in healthy functional compounds, including vitamin C, carotenoids, flavonoids and glucosinolates.
LED light has become an important strategy to regulate vegetable growth and quality in controlled greenhouse or plant factory.
However, many studies have focused on the plant response to radiation increase and light quality transform, and we know less about the responses to different blue and UV-A light wavelengths.
In this study, we found that the different blue and UV-A light wavelength treatments significantly increased the fresh and dry weight of green-leaf and red-leaf pak-choi, and the content of soluble protein was higher compared with those of CK. The contents of total phenolics, flavonoids and anthocyanins increased significantly under supplementary blue and UV-A light in green-leaf pak-choi.
Besides, supplementary blue light enhanced the contents of glucoalyssin, glucobrassicin, glucobrassicanapin, gluconapin and total glucosinolates in varying degrees, and also promoted the expression of key transcription factors and genes of glucosinolate biosynthesis pathway in two cultivars of pak-choi.
Therefore, Blue and UV-A light wavelengths could positively affect the accumulation of phytochemical profiles in pak-choi, which is beneficial to cultivate high-value and potentially healthy functional vegetables in controlled environment.

International Symposium on New Technologies for Sustainable Greenhouse Systems: GreenSys2023

P. Mao, Y. Xu, G. Liu, Q. Li, Y. Zheng

UV-A, light wavelength, healthy compounds, photoreceptors, pak-choi, positive effects

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2025.1426.23