Season-long exposure of bilberry plants to realistic and future ozone pollution improves the nutraceutical quality of fruits

Yasutomo Hoshika; Lorenzo Cotrozzi; Alessandra Marchica; Elisa Carrari; Giacomo Lorenzini; Cristina Nali; Elena Paoletti; Elisa Pellegrini

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153577

Season-long exposure of bilberry plants to realistic and future ozone pollution improves the nutraceutical quality of fruits

Sci Total Environ. 2022 May 20:822:153577. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153577. Epub 2022 Jan 31.

Authors

Yasutomo Hoshika¹, Lorenzo Cotrozzi², Alessandra Marchica³, Elisa Carrari⁴, Giacomo Lorenzini⁵, Cristina Nali⁵, Elena Paoletti¹, Elisa Pellegrini⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems, IRET-CNR, Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Firenze, Italy.
² Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy; CIRSEC, Centre for Climate Change Impact, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy; Nutrafood Research Center, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy. Electronic address: lorenzo.cotrozzi@unipi.it.
³ Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
⁴ Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144, Florence, Italy.
⁵ Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy; CIRSEC, Centre for Climate Change Impact, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy; Nutrafood Research Center, University of Pisa, Via del Borghetto 80, 56124 Pisa, Italy.

PMID: 35114241
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153577

Abstract

Ozone (O₃) is a phytotoxic air pollutant capable of limiting plant yield and growth, and altering the quality of edible plant products. This study aimed to investigate the effects of long-term O₃ exposure at realistic and future concentrations (applied during fruit development) not only on morphological, physiological, and biochemical plant/leaf traits of Vaccinium myrtillus but also on its fruit yield and quality. Three-year-old saplings were grown from May to July under three levels of O₃ concentration [1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 times the ambient air concentrations, denoted as AA, 1.5_AA and 2.0_AA], using a new-generation O₃ Free Air Controlled Exposure system. Ozone induced oxidative pressure and membrane denaturation as confirmed by the accumulation of anion superoxide, hydrogen peroxide (^•O₂^-: +39 and + 29%; H₂O₂: +55 and + 59% in 1.5_AA and 2.0_AA, respectively, compared with AA), and malondialdehyde by-product (1.4- and 2.5-fold higher than AA, in 1.5_AA and 2.0_AA, respectively). The observed oxidative burst likely affected several cellular structures interested by photosynthetic processes (e.g., decrease of the maximum rate of carboxylation: -30%). This constraint likely induced a decline in plant vitality and a different partitioning of biomass allocation between above and below organs. An accelerated maturation of bilberries due to O₃ was reported, suggesting that plants grown under harsher environmental conditions suffered from metabolic changes associated with early ripening. Increasing O₃ concentrations might be responsible for an alteration of the ratio between oxidation and reduction processes mechanisms that was followed by a loss of integrity of membranes, so limiting the availability of energy/resources, triggering enzymatic oxidation of phenols to red/purple pigments, and promoting fruit maturation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first research showing that long-term O₃ exposure during bilberry fruit development influenced not only several plant/leaf traits, but also fruit nutraceutical quality at the time of harvest.

Keywords: Antioxidants; Carbohydrates; Nutritional value; O(3)-FACE; Oxidative stress.

MeSH terms

Dietary Supplements
Fruit
Hydrogen Peroxide / metabolism
Ozone* / analysis
Photosynthesis
Plant Leaves / chemistry
Seasons
Vaccinium myrtillus*

Substances

Ozone
Hydrogen Peroxide