Accumulation of Glucosinolates in Broccoli

Broccoli is a rich source of health-promoting antioxidants and anticarcinogenic glucosinolates, which has long been recognized for their outstanding benefits to human nutrition and plant defense. The composition and content of glucosinolate are closely associated with the flavor and anticancer activity of broccoli. Up to now, broccoli is among a few Brassica vegetables, in which the biosynthetic pathway of glucosinolate has been widely studied and has attracted extensive attention. Recent studies in glucosinolate research have also identified the genetic variations, as well as the functions of individual glucosinolate profiles and their degradation products in broccoli, which provide the basic aims and powerful strategies for breeding of broccoli varieties with optimal glucosinolate composition and content. To fully exploit the potentially beneficial effects of broccoli, it is important to investigate the glucosinolate variation and metabolism across the whole food chain, from preharvest production to post-harvest storage, processing, and cooking. This chapter provides a general overview of glucosinolate biosynthetic pathway, as well as the genetic variation and function of individual glucosinolate profiles in broccoli, highlights the recent advances in glucosinolate accumulation of broccoli upon different preharvest and post-harvest handlings, and discusses their potential application in broccoli breeding, production, storage, processing, and consumption.