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Glucosinolates from Brassica Vegetables: Their Potential Health Benefits and Effect of Pre-Harvest and Processing Factors on their Content

Danish Rizwan

Brassicaceae, one of the prime plant family encompasses the important genus-Brassica with about 37 species, including major vegetable species cultivated globally and consumed worldwide as a part of diet either raw or processed. The cruciferous vegetables hold a central position as food crops in China, Japan, India, and Europe. In India these vegetables are extensively grown in Jammu and Kashmir which is located in the North-western region of Himalayas Vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, knol-khol and other cruciferous vegetables included in this family are rich in nutritional, antioxidant and bioactive compounds. The intake of these vegetables has often been linked to positive health benefits owing to the rich nutritional and phytochemical profile. Glucosinolate, a plant secondary metabolite and its breakdown products, commonly found in these vegetable crops have potential health benefits. Out of the 130 glucosinolates identified so far nearly 30-40 have been found in Brassica species. Isothiocyanate, the chief breakdown product of glucosinolates has been recognised for its anti-carcinogenic potential. The glucosinolate content of cruciferous vegetables is greatly influenced by various pre-harvest factors such as stage of plant at the time of harvest, environmental conditions and agricultural practices. Once harvest, these vegetable crops are subjected to different processing conditions such as boiling, blanching, frying, fermentation etc. which affect their glucosinolate content. This review aims to give an overview of the factors influencing the glucosinolate content in genus Brassica, the nutritional and phytochemical composition with the main focus on health-promoting activities.