Measurement of glucosinolates in Brassicaceae vegetables grown in Japan

Brassicaceae vegetables contain glucosinolate (GSL), which is well known for its role in the plant defense system, bitter substances, and functional components. This study reported the GSL profiles of 18 GSLs in 14 Brassicaceae vegetables (kale, cabbage, kohlrabi, broccoli, cauliflower, komatsuna, pak choi, turnip, choy sum, Chinese cabbage, rutabaga, leaf mustard, leaf radish, and radish root) consisting of 64 cultivars grown in Japan. The GSL compositions showed specific trends among each species, and furthermore, there was considerable variation in the total and individual GSL contents among the cultivars and tissues of the same vegetable. Because each vegetable was grown under the same conditions, this variation was expected to primarily be due to the genetic background. It is desirable to collect additional data from commonly distributed cultivars to conduct more detailed studies on GSLs in Brassicaceae vegetables, such as investigating a negative correlation between GSL consumption and cancer risk.