Affiliations: East Malling Research, East Malling, Kent ME19 6BJ,
UK | Norwegian Crop Research Institute (Planteforsk),
Kvithamar Research Centre, 7500 Stjoerdal, Norway
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Dr. Christopher John Atkinson, East
Malling Research, New Road, East Malling, Kent ME19 6BJ, UK. Tel.: +44 (0)1732
523729; Fax: +44 (0)1732 849067; E-mail: [email protected]
Abstract: The aim of this review is to present an outline of the physiological
perspectives of beneficial antioxidant production in fruit. The drive to
enhance the consumption of fruit and vegetables in the human diet is linked
with positive effects of beneficial antioxidants impacting on health promotion.
We briefly outline our physiological understanding of environmental processes
which induce the production of reactive oxygen species and how antioxidants
prevent plant cellular damage. More specifically, we describe the impact that
environmental stresses, such as drought and radiation, have on the production
of endogenous antioxidants and how these stresses can be incorporated into
novel experimental crop growing systems to achieve high antioxidant
concentrations in fruits. This includes in particular the use of irrigation
application techniques and enhanced light reflectance to increase the
concentrations of bioactive compounds such as ellagic acid and ascorbic
acid.
