Optimizing growth conditions for glucosinolate production in Chinese cabbage

Glucosinolates are well known functional food components that were discovered in Cruciferae and have been the object of study from diverse disciplinary perspectives, including metabolism, quantitative analysis, and breeding. However, the effects of the growth environment and post-harvest processes on glucosinolate production in Chinese cabbage are not well studied. Hence, this study aimed to identify the major factors that affect glucosinolate accumulation in Chinese cabbage during growth, and to optimize growth conditions in order to maximize glucosinolate content. Therefore, we measured glucosinolate content in cabbage grown in five environmental conditions that altered electrical conductivity, pH, cultivation time, temperature, and relative humidity. We used principal component analysis (PCA) to identify the variables primarily affecting growth, followed by response surface methodology (RSM) to determine optimal growth conditions that maximize glucosinolate content in Chinese cabbage. Results from PCA indicated that cultivation time, temperature, and relative humidity were the principal components that explained 85.8% of the total variance, suggesting these are the most significant environmental factors that affect glucosinolate accumulation. Moreover, RSM indicated that the total model for evaluating glucosinolate content was significant (R2 = 0.934) and showed that the optimal temperature and relative humidity for maximizing glucosinolate content are 28 °C, and 66%, respectively. This study provided practical information of optimal condition for producing functional Chinese cabbage intensifying glucosinolate.