Chemical Composition, Antimicrobial and Antioxidant Activities of Broccoli, Kale, and Cauliflower Extracts.

The brassicas have the potential to prevent chronic non-communicable diseases and it is proposed to evaluate the chemical composition, antioxidant and antimicrobial potential of broccoli, cabbage and extracts. The extracts were prepared and characterized and the antioxidant potential was evaluated against three radicals while the antimicrobial potential was analyzed using three techniques against four bacteria. The extracts have glucosinolates and phenolic compounds in their composition, and effectively inhibit the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radical. The extracts of broccoli and cauliflower showed an inhibitory effect against hydroxyl radicals and nitric oxide. Disk diffusion showed that broccoli and cauliflower extract were active against three bacteria, while kale extract showed active halos for Gram-negative bacteria. Kale extract had an inhibitory effect Gram-positive bacteria, cauliflower extract inhibited the growth of Staphylococcus aureus. The cauliflower extract thus had a higher concentration of phenols, a strong antioxidant activity and promising results at a concentration of 100 mg/mL against S. aureus.

The Effect of Broccoli Glucosinolates Hydrolysis Products on Botrytis cinerea: A Potential New Antifungal Agent.

The present study investigates the interactions between eight glucosinolate hydrolysis products (GHPs) sourced from broccoli by-products and the detoxifying enzymes of Botrytis cinerea, namely eburicol 14-alpha-demethylase (CYP51) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST), through in silico analysis. Additionally, in vitro assays were conducted to explore the impact of these compounds on fungal growth. Our findings reveal that GHPs exhibit greater efficacy in inhibiting conidia germination compared to mycelium growth. Furthermore, the results demonstrate the antifungal activity of glucosinolate hydrolysis products derived from various parts of the broccoli plant, including inflorescences, leaves, and stems, against B. cinerea. Importantly, the results suggest that these hydrolysis products interact with the detoxifying enzymes of the fungus, potentially contributing to their antifungal properties. Extracts rich in GHPs, particularly iberin and indole-GHPs, derived from broccoli by-products emerge as promising candidates for biofungicidal applications, offering a sustainable and novel approach to plant protection by harnessing bioactive compounds from agricultural residues.

Glucosinolate-Enriched Fractions from Maca (Lepidium meyenii) Exert Myrosinase-Dependent Cytotoxic Effects against HepG2/C3A and HT29 Tumor Cell Lines.

The consumption of glucosinolate (GL)-rich foods, including Brassica vegetables, such as mustard, broccoli, and maca, is associated with decreased risk of developing cancer. The GL content in maca, which is recognized as a "superfood", is approximately 100-times higher than that in other brassicas. Although maca is a potential dietary source of GLs, limited studies have examined the bioactivity of maca GLs using the combination of chemical characterization and bioassays. In this study, the fractions (Lm-II and Lm-III) rich in intact GLs (glucotropaeolin and glucolimnanthin) were isolated and characterized from maca ethanolic extracts using chromatography and mass spectrometry. Additionally, the growth-inhibitory effects of Lm-II and Lm-II fractions against hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2/C3A) and colon adenocarcinoma (HT29) cell lines were examined in the absence or presence of myrosinase (MYR). Fractions lacking low molecular weight sugars dose-dependently exerted cytotoxic effects in the presence of MYR. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration values of Lm-II and Lm-III against HepG2/C3A were 118.8 and 69.9 µg/mL, respectively, while those against HT29 were 102.6 and 71.5 µg/mL, respectively. These results suggest that the anticancer properties of maca can be attributed to GLs and corroborate the categorization of maca as a "superfood."Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/01635581.2021.1952444.

Effect of a natural supplement containing glucosinolates, phytosterols and citrus flavonoids on body weight and metabolic parameters in a menopausal murine model induced by bilateral ovariectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of a herbal preparation containing glucosinolates, phytosterols and citrus flavonoids (supplement) on body weight and metabolic parameters usually impaired by menopause. METHODS: A pre-clinical experimental study carried out in twenty-five Swiss strain mice (Mus musculus) randomly distributed (1:1:1:1:1 ratio) to five groups to receive for ten weeks: (1) oral gelatinized maca extract 0.5625 mg/kg/day + bilateral ovariectomy (Maca + OVX); (2) oral supplement 0.5625 mg/kg/day + bilateral ovariectomy (S1 + OVX); (3) oral supplement 1.6875 mg/kg/day + bilateral ovariectomy (S2 + OVX); (4) oral saline 100 µl/kg/day + bilateral ovariectomy (OVX); and (5) oral saline 100 µl/kg/day + sham surgery (sham). The primary endpoint was change in body weight gain from baseline to final. Secondary endpoints were uterine weight and cholesterol, triglyceride, glucose, and glucose/triglycerides index values at the end of the study. A modified intention-to-treat analysis was performed through linear regression models and using the Bonferroni method to penalized p-values by multiple comparisons. RESULTS: Twenty-three animals completed the study. There was a significant average difference in weight gain, with a greater reduction in the S2 + OVX group compared to the OVX group (difference= -3.5; 95% CI (-5.27; -1.74); p < .001). S2 + OVX group also displayed a significant average reduction of total blood cholesterol (difference: -16.94; 95% CI (-33.73; -0.15); p = .037). No significant effects of the supplement were found on other secondary endpoints. CONCLUSION: In this murine menopausal model, triple oral supplement dose resulted in an average reduction of weight gain and total cholesterol levels, suggesting that the compound could have a potential effect at regulating menopausal altered metabolism.

Glucosinolate composition of Colombian accessions of mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum Ruíz & Pavón), structural elucidation of the predominant glucosinolate and assessment of its antifungal activity.

BACKGROUND: The content of individual and total glucosinolates in 65 mashua tuber accessions (Tropaeolum tuberosum) from the germplasm bank at Universidad Nacional de Colombia was determined by reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography on enzymatically desulfated extracts. The predominant glucosinolate was identified and the possible structure of the glucosinolate present in lower proportion was postulated from evidence obtained by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry, 1 H and 13 C nuclear magnetic resonance and bi-dimensional experiments. The biological action of the hydrolysis products generated from the glucosinolates in the accessions that showed a higher content of these compounds was assessed in the presence of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. dianthi, Rhizoctonia solani and Phytophthora infestans. RESULTS: The total content of glucosinolates ranged between >3.00 × 10-1 and 25.8 µmol g-1 dry matter. p-Methoxybenzyl glucosinolate was identified as the predominant glucosinolate in Colombian mashua accessions; besides, the possible presence of p-hydroxybenzyl glucosinolate was postulated. In vitro assays established an important fungal growth inhibition of the potato pathogen P. infestans. CONCLUSION: The biological action from p-methoxybenzyl glucosinolate and p-hydroxybenzyl glucosinolate found in Colombian mashua accessions depends on their concentration, with the Tt30 accession, characterized for showing the highest content of glucosinolates, being the most promising to control the assessed pathogens. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Two glucosinolates and their effects related to the prevention of cholesterol gallstones: a review / Dos glucosinolatos y sus efectos asociados con la prevención de cálculos biliares de colesterol: una revisión

Two glucosinolates (glucoraphasatin and glucoraphanin) and their degradation products (raphasatin and sulforaphane) are secondary metabolites which have shown antioxidant properties and inhibitory properties against the hepatic cholesterol; these effects are very important for the prevention of cholesterol gallstones because in their pathophysiology there is an imbalance in the transport and secretion of cholesterol. These effects produce oxygen reactive species formation, which damages the hepatic and biliary tissues. Cholesterol gallstones are a public health problem; their pharmacological treatment is very limited and the invasive surgical treatment for symptomatic gallstones is the cholecystectomy. Current research focuses on the search for preventive treatments, as there are many risk factors associated with the development of gallstones; therefore, a natural therapeutic alternative may be the use of these glucosinolates and their degradation products.

Dos glucosinolatos (glucorafasatina y glucorafanina) y sus productos de degradación (rafasatina y sulforafano) son metabolitos secundarios que han demostrado propiedades antioxidantes y propiedades inhibidoras contra el colesterol hepático; estos efectos son muy importantes para la prevención de cálculos biliares de colesterol porque en su fisiopatología existe un desajuste en el transporte y secreción del colesterol. Estos efectos producen la formación de especies reactivas de oxígeno, que dañan los tejidos hepático y biliar. Los cálculos biliares de colesterol son un problema de salud pública, su terapia farmacológica es muy limitada y el tratamiento quirúrgico invasivo para cálculos biliares sintomáticos es la colecistectomía. Las investigaciones actuales están orientadas a la búsqueda de tratamientos preventivos, porque hay muchos factores de riesgo asociados al desarrollo de cálculos biliares; por lo tanto, una alternativa terapéutica natural podría ser el uso de estos glucosinolatos, así como sus productos de degradación.