Protein hydrolysate biostimulants are environmentally friendly options for the reduction of nitrogen input, but their plant growth-promoting mechanisms are still not completely unveiled. Here, to put the “signaling peptide theory” to the test, a greenhouse experiment was undertaken using low (1 mM) and optimal (8 mM) NO3-treated butterhead lettuce and three molecular fractions (PH1 (>10 kDa), PH2 (1−10 kDa) and PH3 (<10 kDa) fractions), in addition to the whole product Vegamin®: PH, in a randomized block design. PH1 and PH3 significantly increased fresh yield (+8%) under optimal (lighter leaves), but not under low (darker leaves) NO3 conditions. Total ascorbic acid, lutein and β-carotene increased with PH3, and disinapoylgentobiose and kaempferol-3-hydroxyferuloyl-sophorosie-7-glucoside content increased with PH (whole/fractions) treatments, particularly under low NO3 conditions. The complete hydrolysate and analyzed peptide fractions have differential biostimulatory effects, enhancing the growth and nutritional quality of lettuce.
Keywords: Orbitrap LC-MS/MS; UHPLC; ascorbic acid; chlorogenic acid; fresh weight; low nitrogen; peptides; polyphenolics; produce quality; secondary metabolism.