Cruciferous sprouts as healthy foodselicitation of phytochemicals and functionality

Resumo

Cruciferous sprouts are fresh plant foods very interesting because of their higher levels of nutrients and bioactive compounds compared to adult plants. Germinating seeds for 8 days has been established as optimum for harvest and consumption, allowing manipulation while the content of phytochemicals remains higher than in other vegetables, even though, the bioactive compounds contents decrease during germination. Determining the bioactive compounds (phenolics, glucosinolates and isothiocyanates/indoles) in cruciferous sprouts, as well as selecting the suitable species and the germination time, have been found to be of great importance to maximize the health-promoting properties of sprouts for consumption. Elicitation practices with phytohormones (MeJA, JA and SA), sugars (sucrose and glucose) and amino acids (methionine), by priming seeds and using exogenous spray applications enhanced the contents of glucosinolates, precursors of the bioactive isothiocyanates and indoles, which have been widely studied because of their anticarcinogenic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities. Once broccoli and radish sprouts were selected due to their high content in glucoraphanin and glucoraphenin, respectively, among other health-promoting glucosinolates and phenolic compounds, certain biological activities were evaluated. The metabolism and antiproliferative effect of broccoli sprouts was studied in vitro using cell cultures. The effects of radish sprouts cv. Rambo modulating the energy metabolism was determined in the Drosophila melanogaster model, and the antinociceptive effect of broccoli sprouts was evaluated using rodent models. Finally, shelf-life quality and safety of these sprouts was studied for 7 and 14 days under refrigerated storage. This multidisciplinary work open views to design studies of cruciferous foods for human nutrition, since their incorporation to diet and regular consumption will likely provide positive effects for health and disease prevention.