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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition and Food Science Technology
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1447084
This article is part of the Research Topic Anthocyanins in Nutritional Science View all articles

Preharvest sodium selenite treatments affect the growth and enhance nutritional quality of purple leaf mustard with abundant anthocyanin

Provisionally accepted
Bin Wang Bin Wang 1*Xiao Yuan Xiao Yuan 1Guang Wang Guang Wang 2Yunna Zhu Yunna Zhu 1Run-Chang Zhou Run-Chang Zhou 3*Hui-Min Feng Hui-Min Feng 1*Haibo Li Haibo Li 1*
  • 1 Shaoguan University, Shaoguan, China
  • 2 South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
  • 3 Mordern Seed Industry Research Institute of Renhua Danxia, Shaoguan, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Both selenium (Se) and anthocyanins are crucial for maintaining human health.Preharvest Se treatments could promote anthocyanin biosynthesis and augment Se levels in vegetables, helping to combat Se deficiencies in dietary intake. However, it remains unknown whether preharvest Se treatment could balance growth and anthocyanin biosynthesis in plants and what the appropriate treatment concentration is.In this study, preharvest treatments with sodium selenite at varying concentrations (0, 5, 10, and 30 mg/kg) affect the growth and nutritional quality of purple leaf mustard (Brassica juncea) with abundant anthocyanins. Lower Se concentrations (≤ 10 mg/kg) preharvest treatments enhanced photosynthesis, facilitated root system development, consequently elevated the biomass. Conversely, higher Se levels (≥ 30 mg/kg) reduced photosynthesis and biomass. The dosage-dependent effects of Se treatments were corroborated through seedlings cultivated in hydroponic conditions. Moreover, nearly all Se treatments elevated the contents of various nutrients in leaf mustard, particularly anthocyanin and organic Se. These results suggest an overall enhancement in nutritional quality of leaf mustard plants. Furthermore, the application of 10 mg/kg Se significantly enhanced the activity of phenylalanine ammonialyase and upregulated the expression of 12 genes pivotal for anthocyanin biosynthesis, further demonstrating the fortified effects of Se enrichment on anthocyanins in leaf mustard. Low-level Se treatments resulted in heightened antioxidant activity (APX, CAT, and POD), mitigating reactive oxygen species induced by increasing Se content 3 in tissues. The enhanced antioxidant activities may be beneficial for the normal growth of leaf mustard under Se stress conditions. In conclusion, our study demonstrated preharvest Se treatment at 10 mg/kg could balance the growth and anthocyanin biosynthesis in purple leaf mustard. This study offers valuable insights into anthocyanin fortification through Se enrichment methods in agricultural practices, ensuring that such fortification does not compromise vegetable yield.

    Keywords: Preharvest treatment, selenium enrichment, Leaf mustard, anthocyanin fortification, growth promotion

    Received: 11 Jun 2024; Accepted: 11 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang, Yuan, Wang, Zhu, Zhou, Feng and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Bin Wang, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan, China
    Run-Chang Zhou, Mordern Seed Industry Research Institute of Renhua Danxia, Shaoguan, China
    Hui-Min Feng, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan, China
    Haibo Li, Shaoguan University, Shaoguan, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.