Biofortificação de alface hidropônica com ácido salicílico e metil-jasmonato

Abstract

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) stands out for its nutritional value and abundance of bioactive compounds. Elicitation, particularly with salicylic acid (SA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA), is an effective strategy to stimulate the synthesis of bioactive compounds. This study evaluated the effects of SA and MeJA on the production of phenols and flavonoids, as well as on biometric traits of lettuce grown under in a hydroponic system under controlled-environment cultivation. Two independent experiments were conducted in a completely randomized design, with increasing doses of SA (0, 250, 500 e 750 μM) and MeJA (0, 25, 50 e 75 μM). Both elicitors significantly enhanced the accumulation of bioactive compounds, exhibiting quadratic response patterns. SA increased phenolic and flavonoid contents up to estimated doses of 377 and 358 μM, with gains of up to 2.4-fold compared to the control. MeJA reached maximum responses at 65 and 57 μM, resulting in increases of 2.7- and 1.3-fold, respectively. In contrast, biomass-related variables decreased, showing a quadratic pattern for SA and a linear reduction for MeJA, indicating a reallocation of photoassimilates from growth processes to defense-related pathways. Overall, SA and MeJA proved effective in the metabolic biofortification of lettuce, emphasizing the importance of precise dose adjustment to optimize the nutritional and functional quality of the plants.