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Abstract
Apigenin is a bioactive compound with antibacterial, anticancer, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. It is biosynthesized in many fruits, vegetables, and herbs as a secondary metabolite and may be isolated from plant tissue as a useful medicinal product. Although apigenin is a valuable compound, the chemical synthesis is challenging and low yielding making it a desirable target for increased production in plants. One of the highest natural producers of apigenin is parsley, and a potential avenue for improving biosynthesis of apigenin is growing parsley in a controlled environment. Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) is characterized by highly specific modifications to the growing conditions, including lighting, temperature, humidity, and CO2 control, allowing for optimal crop production. However, CEA is often associated with high energy costs, necessitating the use of profitable crops such as biopharmaceuticals. The present research demonstrated that apigenin can successfully be accumulated in chamomile and parsley grown in a vertical hydroponic system in the absence of UV-B light. Furthermore, the addition of UV-B to the supplemental lighting greatly increased apigenin accumulation. Finally, this research successfully generated polyploid tissue in parsley with the aim of increasing apigenin accumulation; however, the polyploid plants were not stable and reverted to diploid tissue.