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Drought stress modulates secondary metabolites in Brassica oleracea L. convar. acephala (DC) Alef, var. sabellica L.
Author(s) -
Podda Alessandra,
Pollastri Susanna,
Bartolini Paola,
Pisuttu Claudia,
Pellegrini Elisa,
Nali Cristina,
Cencetti Gabriele,
Michelozzi Marco,
Frassinetti Stefania,
Giorgetti Lucia,
Fineschi Silvia,
Del Carratore Renata,
Maserti Biancaelena
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.9816
Subject(s) - brassica oleracea , phytol , drought stress , brassicaceae , food science , biology , antioxidant , population , brassica , glucosinolate , botany , chemistry , horticulture , biochemistry , demography , sociology
BACKGROUND Consumer preference today is for the consumption of functional food and the reduction of chemical preservatives. Moreover, the antimicrobial properties and health‐promoting qualities of plant secondary metabolites are well known. Due to forecasted climate changes and increasing human population, agricultural practices for saving water have become a concern. In the present study, the physiological responses of curly kale Brassica oleracea L. convar. Acephala (DC) var. sabellica to drought stress and the impact of water limitation on the concentration of selected secondary metabolites were investigated under laboratory‐controlled conditions. RESULTS Results indicated that drought stress increased the content of trans ‐2‐hexenal, phytol and δ‐tocopherol, and decreased chlorophyll content. Moreover, drought stress increased antioxidant capacity and the expression of AOP2, a gene associated with the biosynthesis of aliphatic alkenyl glucosinolates, and of three genes – TGG1 , TGGE and PEN2 – encoding for myrosinases, the enzymes involved in glucosinolate breakdown. CONCLUSION The present study shows that water limitation during the growing phase might be exploited as a sustainable practice for producing curly kale with a high concentration of nutritionally important health‐promoting bioactive metabolites. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry