Comparative Study of Ascorbic Acid and Tocopherol Concentrations in Hydroponic- and Soil-Grown Lettuces
Consumption of
fruits and vegetables are associated with a healthy lifestyle. With the
increase consumption of fruits and vegetables, it’s necessary to find some new
effective ways to increase their yield. Some research has found that hydroponically-grown
produce may be a way of helping to feed the world a variety of fruits and
vegetables, regardless of soil quality, space availability or climate and they can
be very useful for recycling oxygen.
The objective of this study was to determine whether hydroponically-grown
lettuce contained as much ascorbic acid and tocopherol as soil-grown lettuce. The
nutrients ascorbic acid and tocopherol were specifically chosen for testing
because of their roles in antioxidant protection.
The authors chose Waldmann’s Dark Green, Red Lollo Antago, and Red
Romaine Annapolis lettuces as samples, which were obtained from Mountain View
Montessori School located in Reno. And all sampled lettuces were grown at an
altitude of 1398 meters (4587 feet) in a greenhouse using a static solution and
aerators to provide oxygen to the roots. And the ascorbic
acid and aocopherol analyses were done after the samples were well prepared.
The results showed that Red Lollo Antago and Red Romaine Annapolis were
red-leafed lettuces found to be redder in the hydroponic condition than the
soil condition. Waldmann’s Dark Green was a green-leafed lettuce and was found
to be a darker green when hydroponically-grown than when soil-grown. No
physical differences were observed between the butterleaf lettuces. And the
tocopherol content of hydroponically-grown Waldmann’s Dark Green, Red Lollo
Antago, and Red Romaine Annapolis was 229%, 497% and 492% higher, respectively,
compared to their soil-grown counterpart. The ascorbic acid content of
hydroponically-grown Waldmann’s Dark Green, Red Lollo Antago, and Red Romaine
Annapolis was 93%, 171% and 216% higher, respectively, compared to their
soil-grown counterparts.
In conclusion, hydroponically-grown lettuce varieties were
significantly higher in both ascorbic acid and tocopherol content than their
soil-grown counterparts, and hydroponic gardening was a viable option for
producing nutritious fruits and vegetables.
Article
by Drew N. Buchanan and Stanley T. Omaye, from University of Nevada,
Reno, USA.
Full
access: http://mrw.so/4ryvNd
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