The Effects of UV Light and Methyl Salicylate on Phytochemical Constituents and Nutritional Traits in Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Abstract

Background: Mutagenesis has also been used to improve many desirable traits such as earliness, darkness, resistance or tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress, seed yield and oil quality. There are numerous mutagen agents, both chemical and physical, available to create and obtain valuable mutations in crop plants. Methods: The experiment was done at the laboratory of the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Ton Duc Thang University in Vietnam from September 2021 to December 2022. This study examined the effects of ultraviolet B-light (UV-B) and methyl salicylate (MeSA) treatment on phytochemical constituents (total phenols and flavonoids) and nutritional characteristics (protein and fat content) in a common bean cultivar, GRIS2. Result: The results show that UV irradiation for 3 hours increased the phenolic content in M1 seeds when compared to the control and other treatments. Furthermore, compared to the control and other treatments, UV-B irradiation for up to 5 hours increased the phenolic, protein and lipid content in the pod (in the immature pod, mature pod and seed). Alternatively, treatment with MeSA considerably decreased the levels of these same compounds. Treating the seed with 0.05 mM MeSA did increase the flavonoid content. These findings demonstrate the potential of UV-B treatment for improving bean nutritional quality. On the other hand, the negative general implications of the higher MeSA treatment suggest exogenous treatments should be kept at lower concentrations to ensure the minimization of nutritional losses.