Abstract
The nutritional and health-promoting properties of plants are largely determined by their tissue chemistry. Tuning growth conditions could affect the accumulation of phytochemicals and, therefore, enhance the biological activities. Herein, the impact of elevated CO
2
(eCO
2
; 620 µmol CO
2
mol
−1
air) on growth and chemical composition of sprouts of three
Lepidium sativum
cultivars (Haraz, Khider and Rajab) was investigated. Changes in the sprout actions against some human chronic diseases were evaluated. eCO
2
induced biomass accumulation (1.46-, 1.47- and 2-fold in Haraz, Khider and Rajab, respectively) and pigment accumulation and reduced the level of antinutrients in
L. sativum
cultivars. Compared to the control, eCO
2
induced total glucosinolate accumulation (0.40-, 0.90- and 1.29-fold in Khider, Haraz and Rajab, respectively), possibly through increased amino acid production, and their hydrolysis by myrosinase. In line with increased polyphenol production, improved phenylalanine ammonia lyase activity was observed. The antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypocholesterolemic, antibacterial and anticancer activities of the produced sprouts were significantly improved by sprouting and eCO
2
exposure. PCA indicated that the cultivars showed interspecific responses. Thus, the present study confirms the synergistic effect of sprouting with eCO
2
exposure as a promising approach to produce more bioactive
L. sativum
sprouts.