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High B concentration in the culture medium provokes oxidative damage in tomato leaves and induces a general increase in antioxidant enzyme activity. In particular, B toxicity increased ascorbate pool size. It also increased the activity of l-galactose dehydrogenase, an enzyme involved in ascorbate biosynthesis, and the activity of enzymes of the Halliwell-Asada cycle. This work therefore provides a starting point towards a better understanding of the role of ascorbate in the plant response against B stress.

Iodine is considered an essential trace element for mammals, and its deficiency is related to numerous pathologies as severe as goitre, reproductive failure, mental retardation and brain damage, among others. Currently, about 30% of the world's population are affected by this deficiency, and thus, in an attempt to ameliorate these nutritional disorders, we propose a biofortification programme with iodine by an application of different dosages and forms of this element (iodide versus iodate) in lettuce plants. In this work, a study has been made of the iodine concentration in roots and edible leaves and their influence on nutritional quality through an analysis of its antioxidant capacity. The results showed that the most appropriate application rates in hydroponic cultivation were 40 lM or lower in the form I 2 because these concentrations did not reduce biomass in the treated plants with respect to control plants and caused a foliar accumulation of this element that guarantees the viability of this type of programmes. Furthermore, these data are novel, given that the treated plants show a significant increase in antioxidant compounds after the application of iodine.

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The higher phytonutrients content and antioxidant activity during the environmental stress, more pronounced in parral than multispan greenhouse, together with the sweeter-milder flavour, conferred a notable nutritional benefit, which considerably improved the nutritional and organoleptic quality of these tomatoes.