Wounding stress and UVB radiation for increasing anti-obesogenic compounds in raw vegetables – a practical approach

Abstract

The rise of uncommunicable diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases has urged the development of innovative approaches to improve public health, particularly through dietary interventions. Fruits and vegetables are widely recognized as important sources of bioactive compounds , including phenolics, carotenoids, and flavonoids, which contribute to their health-promoting properties. Despite the known benefits, global vegetable consumption remains below recommended levels, leaving many populations at risk for these diet-related diseases. This work explores the potential of two postharvest abiotic stresses, wounding stress and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation, as techniques for increasing the bioactive compound content of commonly consumed vegetables. This study propases adapting these stress techniques (wounding stress and UVB radiation) for domestic environments. These adaptations would give consumers a practica! Do-lt­ Yourself (DIY) approach to improving the bioactive content of their vegetable consumption, making it possible to obtain greater health benefits from smaller portions. Three widely consumed vegetables (carrots, broccol,i and lettuce) were chosen for this study due to their high consumption rates and nutraceutical potential. The first part of the research involved applying wounding stress to carrots through shredding, followed by storage at 15ºC for 48 hours to allow for phenolic accumulation . The stressed carrots were then used to prepare a biofortified juice, blended with orange juice, broccoli sprouts, and pasteurized. Physicochemical attributes and bioactive compound content were evaluated weekly in juice during a storage period of 28 days. Bioactivity was assessed in vitro at daysO and 28 after preparation. Results showed that the stressed carrots significantly increased total phenolic content, chlorogenic acid, and glucosinolates. The biofartified juice displayed enhanced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which were preserved throughout storage. Far the UVB radiation stress study, a chamber was developed to treat vegetables, including carrots, broccoli, and lettuce. The chamber configuration and exposure conditions (time and intensity) were optimized to deliver the appropriate UVB dose to maximize phenolic compounds accumulation. The treated vegetables were then assessed far their bioactive compound content by chromatography analysis ; antioxidant capacity, anti-inflammatory potential, and anti-obesogenic potential were evaluated in vitro. Results indicated significant increases in phenolic compounds in the three evaluated vegetables and glucosinolates far broccoli in the UVB-treated vegetables, with enhanced antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The findings of this research confirm the efficacy of wounding stress and UVB radiation in increasing the bioactive compound content of vegetables, demonstrating that these techniques can be successfully applied in domestic and industrial contexts. The development of a UVB chamber far home use also represents a significant innovation, offering consumers a practica! tool far enhancing the health benefits of their vegetables. This research opens a new opportunity far improving diet quality through scalable and affordable techniques. The DIY approach offers an accessible strategy far individuals to increase their vegetable consumption's health impact. The perspectives of this work suggest broader applications in restaurants, schools, and other faod service environments, where these techniques could be implemented to improve the nutritional quality of meals served, which potentially clase the gap between low vegetable intake and bioactive compounds consumption needed to reduce the risk of uncommunicable diseases.