Affiliation:
1. College of Food Science & Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
2. Institute of Agri-Food Processing and Nutrition, Beijing Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Beijing 100097, China
Abstract
Ascorbic acid (AsA) is an important nutrient for human health and disease cures, and it is also a crucial indicator for the quality of fruit and vegetables. As a reductant, AsA plays a pivotal role in maintaining the intracellular redox balance throughout all the stages of plant growth and development, fruit ripening, and abiotic stress responses. In recent years, the de novo synthesis and regulation at the transcriptional level and post-transcriptional level of AsA in plants have been studied relatively thoroughly. However, a comprehensive and systematic summary about AsA-involved biochemical pathways, as well as AsA’s physiological functions in plants, is still lacking. In this review, we summarize and discuss the multiple physiological and biochemical functions of AsA in plants, including its involvement as a cofactor, substrate, antioxidant, and pro-oxidant. This review will help to facilitate a better understanding of the multiple functions of AsA in plant cells, as well as provide information on how to utilize AsA more efficiently by using modern molecular biology methods.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
National Key Research and Development Program of China
Beijing Innovation Consortium of Agriculture Research System
Subject
Inorganic Chemistry,Organic Chemistry,Physical and Theoretical Chemistry,Computer Science Applications,Spectroscopy,Molecular Biology,General Medicine,Catalysis