Enhancing Brassica microgreen production: Exploring metabolomic variations across growing conditions using targeted...

The present study investigated the impact of different photoperiods and temperatures as growing conditions (GCs) on the metabolomic profile of Brassica microgreens. The research delves into the intricate chlorophyll content, macroelement composition and metabolomic profiles of Brassica species cultivated under varied GC by utilizing targeted and non-targeted compound analysis. Under the G₃ (a prolonged photoperiod of 22 h with temperatures of 26 °C/20 °C:: light/dark), Brassica microgreens demonstrated a rise in chlorophyll content by about 32 %, while microgreen height increased by approximately 20 %. The macroelement composition also varied significantly with GC, notably potassium content increased from 42.93 to 66.18 mg/g under G₃. The phenolic composition analysis revealed a prominent presence of gallic and ferulic acid in the microgreens, significantly influenced by the GCs. Additionally, sugar profile indicated elevated levels of glucose and sucrose in response to G₃. The UHPLC-QToF-IMS metabolomic profile highlighted the variation in expression levels of different classes of compounds, specifically (2R)-2-Hydroxy-3-butenyl, and 3-Indolylmethyl, which were upregulated under the G₃.