Continuous Blue Light Treatment Enhances the Nutritional Value of Hydroponically Grown Eruca vesicaria L. by Improving Ascorbic Acid Biosynthesis

Abstract

This study investigates the effect of continuous blue light (CBL) treatment on quality-related metabolites, focusing on ascorbic acid (AsA) accumulation in hydroponically grown Eruca vesicaria (L.). Plants were subjected to CBL treatment, consisting of 24-h exposure to constant-intensity blue light (48 μmol m−2 s−1) and 12-h exposure to the remaining spectrum (192 μmol m−2 s−1). The activities of key enzymes in AsA biosynthesis and recycling were analyzed, including L-galactono-1,4-lactone dehydrogenase (GalLDh), monodehydroascorbate reductase (MDhAR), dehydroascorbate reductase (DhAR), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX). The results showed a significant increase in AsA accumulation of 65.9% during the “day” and 69.1% during the “night” phases under CBL compared to controls. GalLDh activity increased by 20% during the “day phase” in CBL-treated plants. APX activity also rose significantly under CBL conditions, by 101% during the “day” and 75.6% during the “night”. However, this did not affect dehydroascorbic acid levels or the activities of MDhAR and DhAR. These findings highlight the potential of tailored light treatments to enhance the nutraceutical content of horticultural species, offering valuable insights for sustainably improving food quality in controlled-environment agriculture (CEA) systems and understanding the roles of blue light in ascorbic acid biosynthesis.