Vegetables provide almost all of the essential vitamins and minerals , as well as a significant number of health-promoting phytochemicals, since their antioxidant function prevents various pathologies such as immunodeficiencies, cataracts, neuropathies, vasculopathies or cancer.

Phytochemicals are chemical compounds found in plants, related to pigments , and are therefore present in brightly colored fruits and vegetables such as yellow, orange, red, green, and purple . Their effects on degenerative processes , such as slowing aging or reducing the risk of various diseases like cancer, heart disease, hypertension, cataracts, osteoporosis, or urinary tract infections, have been extensively studied (Vattem and Shetty, 2005). They are attributed with antioxidant, enzyme-regulating, detoxifying, immune-stimulating, hormonal-regulating, and antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Antioxidants are natural substances that, present in low concentrations relative to an oxidizable substrate (biomolecule), slow down or prevent its oxidation. They are abundant in a wide variety of foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and grains, with vitamin A (and its beta-carotene form), vitamin C, polyphenols (including bioflavonoids), zinc, and selenium being among the best known . Antioxidants act by slowing down the onset or decreasing the rate of oxidation of auto-oxidizable matter. In this way, the oxidation reaction is slowed by inhibiting the formation of free radicals (Raigón, 2008).

Ascorbic acid , or vitamin C , is a water-soluble antioxidant. Vitamin C has been recognized for its many antioxidant properties, including its protective effects against oxidative damage. It is found in almost all fruits and vegetables, with the highest concentrations in citrus fruits, peppers, and berries. According to Mozafar (1993), nitrogen fertilizers, especially at high doses, decrease the concentration of vitamin C in various fruits, such as citrus fruits, and vegetables, such as potatoes and tomatoes. Since the overuse of nitrogen fertilizers leads to an increase in the concentration of nitrate ions in plants, and simultaneously a decrease in ascorbic acid (an inhibitor in the formation of carcinogenic nitrous compounds), the final result for the quality of these vegetables, produced with high doses of nitrogen fertilizers, is doubly negative.

Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants widely distributed in foods, primarily in the outermost layers of fruits, vegetables, grains, and other seeds . There are many types of polyphenols , including polyphenolic pigments such as flavonoids (or bioflavonoids), carotenoids, anthocyanins, and anthoxanthins. Phenolic compounds provide color and a large part of the characteristic flavor of fruits and vegetables (Raigón, 2008).

Polyphenols have several beneficial effects on health, acting as anticoagulants, protecting against cancer, regulating blood pressure and blood sugar, and possessing antimicrobial and immunostimulatory effects, in addition to their protective effect against free radicals (Velioglu et al., 1998). In fact, the greatest antioxidant capacity does not correspond to vitamin compounds (vitamin A, C, or E), but rather to polyphenolic substances such as flavonoids , which have much greater antioxidant capacities ; hence the relationship between total polyphenol content and antioxidant capacity.

Focusing on fruits and vegetables , the more intense their color, the greater their nutritional value, especially in terms of antioxidant properties. Currants, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, plums, citrus fruits, grapes, mangoes, apricots, pomegranates… in the fruit group, and tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, carrots, beets, radishes… in the vegetable group, are little treasures packed with vitamins, flavonoids, minerals, and powerful phytochemicals with antioxidant properties.

For the synthesis of these antioxidant substances to be optimal , a series of specific climatic conditions must be met , which are not always present. Drought, excessive or unseasonal rainfall, cold, frost, or, conversely, extreme heat, can all result in the fruit not expressing its full polyphenolic (antioxidant) potential.

In other words, any stressful situation will prevent the plant from optimally ripening its fruit , not only in terms of size and sugar content, but also in terms of phytochemicals, including polyphenols. Managing these stressful situations in the crop can mean the difference between success and failure for our plantation.

From the Cultifort technical department, we have the perfect solution for these problems: FASKOLOR . This is a liquid formulation of potassium, organic acids, and selected peptide complexes. Its unique balance provides a significant increase in fruit earliness and quality, in terms of size, sugar concentration, and polyphenol content, especially anthocyanins, which are responsible for the red color of many fruits.

In addition to the role played by potassium in fruit ripening, FASKOLOR contains a selection of peptide complexes that accelerate specific physiological ripening cycles and a special formulation of organic acids that improve the transport of sugars and nutrients to the fruit. This results in fruit that reaches the necessary ripening requirements for harvesting early and uniformly . FASKOLOR achieves these remarkable effects purely through nutrition, without hormones.

It should also be noted that an advance , even of a few days, in ripening can mean significant differences in the selling price of our fruit.

Therefore, if we want to improve the antioxidant content of our fruit and also accelerate ripening , it is essential to ensure we use a high-quality, safe product that provides everything necessary to achieve adequate ripening without compromising the final harvest. In this regard, FASKOLOR is one of the most interesting options, guaranteeing a complete formula to accelerate ripening, homogenize fruit color, leave no residue, and above all, be highly effective.

REFERENCES

Mozafar, A., 1993. Nitrogen fertilizers and the amount of vitamins in plants: a review. Journal Plant Nutr. 16, 2479-2506.

Raigón, MD ., 2008. Organic Food. Quality and Health. Regional Government of Andalusia. Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. Spanish Society of Organic Agriculture (SEAE)

Vattem, D.A. and Shetty, K., 2005. Biological functionality of ellagic acid: a review. Journal of food biochemistry 29, 234-266.

Velioglu, Y., Mazza, G., Gao, L., Oomah, B.D. , 1998. Antioxidant activity and total phenolics in selected fruits, vegetables, and grain products. Journal of agricultural and food chemistry 46, 4113-4117.