Increase of Anthocyanin, Vitamin C, and Flavonoid Content in Red Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) using Alternating Magnetic Field Exposure

Abstract

Red lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is widely consumed for its health benefits. With the a growing global population and limited land resources, there is a need to increase the nutritional content and bioactive compounds of vegetables or fruits. This research aims to increase the growth, productivity, and the content of anthocyanin, vitamin C and flavonoids in red lettuce leaves through exposure to magnetic fields during seeding. The research utilized red lettuce seeds as the research sample. Exposure was carried out using an alternating magnetic field (MF) with an effective magnetic flux density (MFD) of 0.4 mT, a frequency range of 25-125 Hz, and a dailyexposure time of 15 minutes. The treatment of each sample group was repeated for five days. The results showed that exposure to a MF with a frequency of 75 Hz resulted in optimum growth and weight, an increase of 65.15% and 60.18%, respectively. The optimum anthocyanin, vitamin C, and flavonoid content were obtained at an exposure to a frequency of 100 Hz, an increase of 22.52%, 40.70%, and 32.50%, respectively. Exposure to seeds uses an alternating MF; frequency is an important parameter for producing optimum enhancement.