ABSTRACT
In the green plant tissues, a major portion of ascorbic acid is located in the chloroplast. The presence of ascorbic acid in the underground plant parts, such as potato tubers, and in the photosynthetically less active plant parts such as fruits, point to the possible transport of the vitamin from the leaves to the organs rather than in situ synthesis of this vitamin. Increased duration of sunny periods or light intensity has been observed to increase the ascorbic acid content in acerola, apples, Amaranthus hybridus (African spinach), asparagus, blueberry, cantaloupe and Capsicum. Information on the effect of light quality wavelength spectrum on plant vitamins is relatively rare and that which is available is mostly about ascorbic acid. Climatic factors such as light duration, light intensity and quality, and temperature were shown to strongly affect the concentration of vitamins, in particular that of ascorbic acid and carotene, in many different plants.
