Baslam, M.; Garmendia, I.; Goicoechea, N. Enhanced Accumulation of Vitamins, Nutraceuticals and Minerals in Lettuces Associated with Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi (AMF): A Question of Interest for Both Vegetables and Humans. Agriculture 2013, 3, 188-209.
Figure 1. Lactuca sativa (a) var. Longifolia (Cogollos de Tudela); (b) var. Capitata cv. Batavia Rubia Munguía; and (c) var. Capitata cv. Maravilla de Verano, inoculated with either Glomus fasciculatum or a mixture of Glomus intraradices and Glomus mosseae or non-mycorrhizal. Photographs were taken at harvest, 7 weeks after transplanting. Growth conditions as described by Baslam et al. [31].
Abstract
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is extensively grown and is the most widely used food crop for the called “Fourth Range” of vegetables. Lettuce exhibits healthy properties mainly due to the presence of antioxidant compounds (vitamins C and E, carotenoids, polyphenols) alongside significant fibre content and useful amounts of certain minerals. Lettuce can establish a mutualistic association with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). The establishment of the symbiosis involves a continuous cellular and molecular dialogue between both symbionts, which includes the activation of antioxidant, phenylpropanoid or carotenoid metabolic pathways. The presence of AMF colonizing roots of greenhouse-grown lettuces can induce an accumulation of secondary metabolites, vitamins and minerals in leaves that overcome the dilution effect due to the increased size of mycorrhizal plants. Therefore, AMF would allow the intake of minerals and compounds with antioxidant properties to be enhanced without increasing the consumption of lettuce in the diet. In addition, increased quantities of secondary metabolites may help lettuce plants to withstand biotic and abiotic stresses. Our review discusses the influence exerted by several environmental factors and agronomic practices on the ability of AMF for enhancing the levels of vitamins, nutraceuticals and minerals in leaves of green and red-leaf types of lettuces.
Conclusions and Future Prospects
The application of AMF appears as a feasible alternative to genetic engineering and other methods (e.g., supplemental UV application in greenhouses) to improve growth and nutritional quality of lettuce. However, the beneficial effect of AMF on the production and quality of this crop is highly dependent on several factors: type of lettuce, species of AMF and several factors related to cultural practices, such as the water regime applied to lettuce plants, the season chosen for cultivating lettuces and carbon dioxide (CO2) supplementation within the greenhouse. Another important aspect that remains to be elucidated is the assessment of the potential biological effects that the enhanced amounts of nutraceuticals, vitamins and minerals accumulated in leaves of mycorrhizal lettuces could exert.
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