The Effect of Light and Dark Treatment on the Production of Rosmarinic Acid and Biological Activities in Perilla frutescens Microgreens

This study aimed to investigate the effect of light [a long-day photoperiod (16 h light/8 h dark cycle)] and dark treatment on the production of rosmarinic acid in P. frutescens microgreens and to determine its antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Microgreens of P. frutescens were grown under light and dark conditions and harvested after 10, 15, 20, and 25 days of each treatment. Although dry weight values of microgreens gradually increased from 10 to 25 days of both treatments, the microgreens grown under light treatment possessed slightly higher levels of dry weight than those grown in the dark. Rosmarinic acid and total phenolic content (TPC) were also analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and Folin–Ciocalteu assay. The accumulation patterns of rosmarinic acid and TPC gradually increased and decreased, respectively, in P. frutescens microgreens grown in continuous darkness. The highest accumulation was observed in microgreens grown for 20 days. However, rosmarinic acid and TPC values were not significantly different in microgreens grown under light conditions. According to the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical inhibition assay, the extracts of P. frutescens microgreens were confirmed to be strong antioxidants, and their ability to scavenge DPPH radicals was positively correlated with the total phenolic content in the microgreens after 10, 15, 20, and 25 days of both treatments. Considering the relatively higher values of dry weight, rosmarinic acid, TPC, and DPPH assay, P. frutescens microgreens after 20 days of darkness and 20 days of light treatment, respectively, were selected for screening antibacterial activity using nine pathogens. Both microgreen extracts showed strong antibacterial activity against pathogens. In particular, the extracts of microgreens grown for 20 days under light treatment showed higher antimicrobial effects. Therefore, the light treatments for 20 days, as well as the darkness treatment for 20 days, were the best conditions for P. frutescens microgreen production because of their high levels of dry weight, phenolics, and biological activities.