Abstract

Mustard sprouts is a new form of vegetable product that is gaining attention due to its high content of healthpromoting compounds such as glucosinolates. This study investigated the effects of different light qualities (white, red, and blue) alone and in combination with 100 mu mol L-1 melatonin on the growth and healthpromoting substance content of mustard sprouts. The results showed that white light + melatonin treatment promoted the accumulation of glucosinolates in sprouts (compared with white light increased by 47.89%). The edible fresh weight of sprouts treated with red light + melatonin was the highest, followed by white light + melatonin treatment. In addition, the sprouts treated with blue light + melatonin contained more ascorbic acid, flavonoids, and total phenolics. Therefore, the combined treatment of light quality (especially white light) and melatonin can provide a new strategy to improve the quality of mustard sprouts.