Botánica aplicada: radiación UV-B para la obtención de brotes de quinua enriquecidos en compuestos fenólicos, con probables usos en protectores solares naturales o como alimentos funcionales

The objective was to evaluate the use of a microgreen system and very shortUV-B radiation dose to obtain plant biomass as a source for phenol-enrichedextracts with probable cosmetic and/or food uses. Quinoa seedlings,a native species of the Andes, of two different ages were used. The seedlingswere irradiated with different doses of UV-B and then evaluated by quantifyingindicators of oxidative damage. Also, the contents of phenolic compounds,photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant capacity, and sun protectionfactor were determined. The results showed that the youngest seedlingsresponded better to short UVB doses, increasing the content of soluble and insoluble phenols, without showing oxidative damage. These resultswere correlated with the greater antioxidant power of the extracts and anintermediate sun protection factor. We conclude that this species, grown ina microgreen system, is a promising alternative to obtain phenol-enrichedextracts with possible use in formulations of natural sunscreens. In thissense, these results can serve as a starting point for optimization studiesthrough the response surface methodology.