Muthusamy, M., Hwang, J.E.,
Kim, J.A., Jeong, M.J., Park, H.C.
and Lee, S.I.
2019
Elevated carbon dioxide
significantly improves
ascorbic acid content,
antioxidative properties and
restricted biomass production
in cruciferous vegetable seedlings.
Plant Biotechnology Reports 13: 293-304.
NOTE:
Muthusamy et al. (2019) say
"information on
L-ascorbic acid
biosynthesis in
leafy vegetables like
Chinese cabbage
(Brassica campestris L.
spp. pekinensis Rupr),
bok choy
(Brassica rapa
spp. chinensis)
and root
vegetables like
red young radish
(Raphanus raphanistrum
ssp. sativus L.)
and radish
(Raphanus raphanistrum
ssp. sativus L.)
is limited."
Their objective was to
investigate the effect
of elevated CO2
on various growth and
anti-oxidative properties
of four vegetables
known for their high
nutritional value,
including ascorbic acid,
soluble fibers and
nutraceuticals with
anti-cancer properties.
SUMMARY:
Ascorbic acid
"acts as an antioxidant
to protect photosystem
from free radicals, thereby
increasing photosynthesis rate
under enriched CO2 conditions
which favors high biomass
production."
Improvement in antioxidant
activities under elevated CO2
helped these plants grow better
and improved their
nutritional value.
Muthusamy et al. report
that elevated CO2 induced
a 0.53 to 1.62-fold increase
in ascorbic acid
(Vitamin C)
content in the
vegetable seedlings
(see chart)
which improved
the radical
scavenging activities
of Super Oxide
Dismutase
in a concentration
dependent manner.
Elevated CO2
also activated
Ascorbate
peroxidase-6
to control
the accumulation
of the
reactive oxygen
species H2O2.
DETAILS:
The work was conducted
in the laboratory, under
controlled conditions.
They grew seedlings
of the four plants
under four different
CO2 concentrations
(350, 700, 1,000,
and 4,000 ppm)
over a period
of seven days.
Then they performed
a series of analyses
to determine
the CO2 effect
on the anti-oxidative
properties of four
cruciferous vegetables.
In the chart below:
Vitamin C
(Ascorbic acid, AsA)
content in
Chinese cabbage,
bok choy,
red young radish
and radish seedlings
exposed to different
CO2 concentrations
(350, 700, 1,000
and 4,000 ppm):
