Abstract
Sulforaphane is a phytochemical that is usually found in cruciferous vegetables and is known to have a depressive effect on gastric cancer. Preliminary investigations showed that the sulforaphane concentration in broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) florets increased under anoxia. Therefore, in the present study, we examined the effect of different atmospheric conditions on the sulforaphane concentration in broccoli and also tested whether there are concurrent effects on the concentration of ethanol, which is an unfavorable byproduct of fermentation. The sulforaphane concentration in broccoli florets was significantly elevated by 1.9- to 2.8-fold after 2 d of storage under hypoxia at ca. 0% O2 and ca. 24% CO2 at 20°C, whereas no such increase was observed following storage under normoxia at ca. 0% O2 without CO2 at 20°C. Furthermore, after 2 d, the sulforaphane concentration under hypoxia was 1.6- to 2.3-fold higher than that under normoxia. These results suggest that storage under hypoxia with high CO2 levels can elevate the sulforaphane concentration in broccoli florets. However, the elevated sulforaphane concentration could not be maintained beyond 2 d. There was no significant difference in the concentration of ethanol between florets that were stored under hypoxia with/without CO2 or normoxia at 2 d. However, the ethanol concentrations inside the pouches significantly increased between 2 d and 7 d. These findings indicate that the quality of broccoli florets can be improved through storage under hypoxia with high CO2 levels at 20°C for 2 d.
Highlights
Sulforaphane is a phytochemical that is frequently found in cruciferous vegetables and which has been reported to be effective at reducing the risk of gastric cancer
As part of a separate study, we accidentally found that the sulforaphane concentration in broccoli was approximately three times higher when the florets were sealed within an acrylic chamber at room temperature for a few days rather than being stored under normoxia, suggesting that hypoxia stimulated sulforaphane production
Since no previous studies have reported an increase in sulforaphane concentration under hypoxia, in the present study we examined whether hypoxia can increase the sulforaphane concentration in broccoli and what effect this has on the concentration of ethanol, which is an unfavorable byproduct of fermentation
Summary
Sulforaphane is a phytochemical that is frequently found in cruciferous vegetables and which has been reported to be effective at reducing the risk of gastric cancer. Sulforaphane increases in broccoli under hypoxia provided support in the form of salaries for author [Takaharu Mizosoe], but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section
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