Brassicaceous Vegetables Research Articles

High-level and reusable preparation of sulforaphane by yeast cells expressing myrosinase.

Myrosinase is a key tool for the fast and efficient preparation of sulforaphane which is one of the prominent natural ingredients found in brassicaceous vegetables. Here, the glucoraphanin-hydrolyzing activity ofa Yarrowia lipolytica 20-8 harboring myrosinase reached 73.28 U/g dry cell weight, indicating that it had a potential application in sulforaphane preparation from glucoraphanin. An efficient and reusable process for sulforaphane preparation via myrosinase produced by Y. lipolytica 20-8 was constructed. In detail, as high as 10.32mg sulforaphane could be produced from 1g broccoli seed under the reaction of 40 U yeast whole-cell catalyst within 15min with the conversion efficiency of 99.86%. Moreover, when the yeast whole-cell catalyst was reused 7 and 10 times, as high as 92.53% and 87.56% of sulforaphene yield of the initial level could be retained, respectively. Therefore, this yeast whole-cell is a potent biocatalyst for the efficient and reusable preparation of sulforaphane.

A novel V263I mutation in the glutamate-gated chloride channel of Plutella xylostella (L.) confers a high level of resistance to abamectin

The frequent and extensive use of insecticides leads to the evolution of insecticide resistance, which has become one of the constraints on global agricultural production. Avermectins are microbial-derived insecticides that target a wide number of insect pests, including the diamondback moth Plutella xylostella, an important global pest of brassicaceous vegetables. However, field populations of P. xylostella have evolved serious resistance to avermectins, including abamectin, thereby threatening the efficiency of these insecticides. In this study, a novel valine to isoleucine mutation (V263I) was identified in the glutamate-gated chloride channel (GluCl) of field P. xylostella populations, which showed different levels of resistance to abamectin. Electrophysiological analysis revealed that the V263I mutation significantly reduced the sensitivity of PxGluCl to abamectin by 6.9-fold. Genome-modified Drosophila melanogaster carrying the V263I mutation exhibited 27.1-fold resistance to abamectin. Then, a knockin strain (V263I-KI) of P. xylostella expressing the homozygous V263I mutation was successfully constructed using the CRISPR/Cas9. The V263I-KI had high resistance to abamectin (106.3-fold), but significantly reduced fecundity. In this study, the function of V263I mutation in PxGluCl was verified for the first time. These findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of abamectin resistance mechanisms and lay the foundation for providing a new molecular detection method for abamectin resistance monitoring.

Characterization of the swede midge, Contarinia nasturtii, first instar larval salivary gland transcriptome

Proteins in saliva of gall-forming insect larvae govern insect-host plant interactions. Contarinia nasturtii, the swede midge, is a pest of brassicaceous vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli) and canola. We examined the salivary gland (SG) transcriptome of first instar larvae reared on Brassica napus and catalogued genes encoding secreted proteins that may contribute to the initial stages of larval establishment, the synthesis of plant growth hormones, extra-oral digestion and evasion of host defenses. A significant portion of the secreted proteins with unknown functions were unique to C. nasturtii and were often members of larger gene families organized in genomic clusters with conservation patterns suggesting that they are undergoing selection.

Comparison of Genome and Plasmid-Based Engineering of Multigene Benzylglucosinolate Pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Intake of brassicaceous vegetables such as cabbage is associated with numerous health benefits. The major defense compounds in the Brassicales order are the amino acid-derived glucosinolates that have been associated with the health-promoting effects. This has primed a desire to build glucosinolate-producing microbial cell factories as a stable and reliable source. Here, we established-for the first time-production of the phenylalanine-derived benzylglucosinolate (BGLS) in Saccharomyces cerevisiae using two different engineering strategies: stable genome integration versus plasmid-based introduction of the biosynthetic genes. Although the plasmid-engineered strain showed a tendency to generate higher expression level of each gene (except CYP83B1) in the biosynthetic pathway, the genome-engineered strain produced 8.4-fold higher BGLS yield compared to the plasmid-engineered strain. Additionally, we optimized the genome-engineered strain by overexpressing the entry point genes CYP79A2 and CYP83B1, resulting in a 2-fold increase in BGLS production but also a 4.8-fold increase in the level of the last intermediate desulfo-benzylglucosinolate (dsBGLS). We applied several approaches to alleviate the metabolic bottleneck in the step where dsBGLS is converted to BGLS by sulfotransferase, SOT16 dependent on 3'-phosphoadenosine-5'-phosphosulfate (PAPS). BGLS production increased 1.7-fold by overexpressing SOT16 and 1.7-fold by introducing APS kinase, APK1, from Arabidopsis thaliana involved in the PAPS regeneration cycle. Modulating the endogenous sulfur assimilatory pathway through overexpression of MET3 and MET14 resulted in 2.4-fold to 12.81 μmol/L (=5.2 mg/L) for BGLS production. IMPORTANCE Intake of brassicaceous vegetables such as cabbage is associated with numerous health benefits. The major defense compounds in the Brassicales order are the amino acid-derived glucosinolates that have been associated with the health-promoting effects. This has primed a desire to build glucosinolate-producing microbial cell factories as a stable and reliable source. In this study, we engineered for the first time the production of phenylalanine-derived benzylglucosinolate in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with two engineering strategies: stable genome integration versus plasmid-based introduction of the biosynthetic genes. Although the plasmid-engineered strain generally showed higher expression level of each gene (except CYP83B1) in the biosynthetic pathway, the genome-engineered strain produced higher production level of benzylglucosinolate. Based on the genome-engineered strain, the benzylglucosinolate level was improved by optimization. Our study compared different approaches to engineer a multigene pathway for production of the plant natural product benzylglucosinolate. This may provide potential application in industrial biotechnology.

IMA Genome - F13

ABSTRACTDraft genomes of the fungal species Ambrosiella cleistominuta, Cercospora brassicicola, C. citrullina, Physcia stellaris, and Teratosphaeria pseudoeucalypti are presented. Physcia stellaris is an important lichen forming fungus and Ambrosiella cleistominuta is an ambrosia beetle symbiont. Cercospora brassicicola and C. citrullina are agriculturally relevant plant pathogens that cause leaf-spots in brassicaceous vegetables and cucurbits respectively. Teratosphaeria pseudoeucalypti causes severe leaf blight and defoliation of Eucalyptus trees. These genomes provide a valuable resource for understanding the molecular processes in these economically important fungi.

Identification of two functional xyloglucan galactosyltransferase homologs BrMUR3 and BoMUR3 in brassicaceous vegetables.

Xyloglucan (XyG) is the predominant hemicellulose in the primary cell walls of most dicotyledonous plants. Current models of these walls predict that XyG interacts with cellulose microfibrils to provide the wall with the rigidity and strength necessary to maintain cell integrity. Remodeling of this network is required to allow cell elongation and plant growth. In this study, homologs of Arabidopsis thaliana MURUS3 (MUR3), which encodes a XyG-specific galactosyltransferase, were obtained from Brassica rapa (BrMUR3) to Brassica oleracea (BoMUR3). Genetic complementation showed that BrMUR3 and BoMUR3 rescue the phenotypic defects of the mur3-3 mutant. Xyloglucan subunit composition analysis provided evidence that BrMUR3 and BoMUR3 encode a galactosyltransferase, which transfers a galactose residue onto XyG chains. The detection of XXFG and XLFG XyG subunits (restoration of fucosylated side chains) in mur3-3 mutants overexpressing BrMUR3 or BoMUR3 show that MUR3 from Brassica to Arabidopsis are comparable as they add Gal to the third xylosyl residue of the XXXG subunit. Our results provide additional information for functional dissection and evolutionary analysis of MUR3 genes derived from brassicaceous species.

Quantification of Total Glucosinolates and Isothiocyanates for Common Brassicaceous Vegetables Consumed in the US Market Using Cyclocondensation and Thiocyanate Ion Measurement Methods

Glucosinolates are a group of important sulfur and nitrogen containing plant secondary metabolites found in Brassicaceous vegetables that are associated with many health benefits. There is a growing interest in assessing dietary glucosinolates and their degradation products’ isothiocyanates exposure to humans. Determination of glucosinolates in plants is a very challenging task. In this study, the total glucosinolates from 22 commonly consumed Brassicaceous vegetables in the US market were determined by employing 1,2-benzenedithiol cyclocondensation for the determination of isothiocyanates (ITCs) from non-indole glucosinolates and a colorimetric method for the determination of thiocyanate ion (SCN−) from indole glucosinolates. The total glucosinolates were determined from the sum of these two methods. In the 22 investigated vegetables, the highest level of total ITCs was found in horse radish (5189.0 ± 544.8 nmol/g dry weight) and the highest level of total SCN− level was found in brussel sprouts (1294.0 ± 141.6 nmol/g dry weight). The total glucosinolates ranged from 18.6 ± 3.2 to 2271.2 ± 215.3 nmol/g dry weight. The total glucosinolate and ITC data are necessary for the USDA glucosinolates database and important for establishing the relationship of glucosinolates to human nutrition.

Su Yang Decoction induces human colon carcinoma cell apoptosis by activating caspases.

Su Yang Decoction (SYD) is a popular healthcare product comprised of various brassicaceous vegetables known to exhibit anticancer activity. However, the effects of SYD on tumor growth, following its combination with brassicaceous vegetables into a compound formula, require further investigation. In the present study, a quality control of SYD was subjected to high-performance liquid chromatography for the quantitative and qualitative determination of sulforaphane, the main anticancer component of SYD. SYD inhibited colon cancer cell proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner and induced G1 phase arrest in colon cancer HT-29 cell lines. In addition, SYD triggered caspase-mediated apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner and induced the cleavage of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, tumor necrosis factor superfamily member 10, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis, and truncated BH3 interacting domain death agonist. Furthermore, the expression of FADD-like interleukin-1β-converting enzyme (FLICE)-like inhibitory proteins (FLIPs) and long isoform of FLICE-inhibitory protein was reduced by SYD and the direct targeting of cellular-FLIP with small interfering RNA inhibited colon cancer cell proliferation and decreased the SYD concentration required for proliferation inhibition. SYD treatment was also associated with the translocation of proapoptotic BCL2 associated X, apoptosis regulator to the mitochondria and the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the cytosol. The aforementioned results indicate that SYD exerts anti-colorectal cancer effects through an underlying mechanism that may involve caspase activation.

Pollen morphology of selected crop plants from southern China and testing pollen morphological data in an archaeobotanical study

Identification of pollen grains of cultivated plants is essential in archaeobotanical studies. In this study, we investigated the pollen morphology of 30 species which are representatives of most of the crop plants in southern China, using a light microscope. Our results show that the pollen grains of these species or genera can generally be identified by their size, aperture(s) and exine sculpture. We found that: (1) some cultivated cereals can be distinguished from wild species of Poaceae according to their size frequency combined with their morphological features; (2) the lengths of the equatorial diameter (E), polar axis (P) and the greatest dimension of the lumina (the size of the network sculpturing) of the exine reticulum may be diagnostic features to distinguish some brassicaceous vegetables. There are significant differences between the E and P values among Brassica campestris (B. rapa, oilseed rape, Chinese cabbage), B. alboglabra (B. oleracea var. alboglabra, gai lan, Chinese kale), B. parachinensis (B. rapa var. parachinensis, choy sum, Chinese flowering cabbage) and B. chinensis (B. rapa ssp. chinensis, pak choi), but moderate differences in the longer axis length of the reticulum lumina, which provide potential for identifying species on the basis of pollen grains. We compared the P values and the longer axis length of the lumina of modern specimens of Brassicaceae pollen grains with those of fossil pollen extracted from the Ming-Qing cultural layer in the Fuqikou site at Chongqing, China, and found that the fossil pollen grains of Brassicaceae probably represent vegetable plants related to B. parachinensis. Moreover, we measured the diameters of rice pollen grains from modern paddy fields to assess the pollen size frequency and found that the size range from ~ 34 to 38 µm is closely associated with rice pollen in southern China, which can be used to detect pollen signals of human activities in archaeobotanical investigations.

The intrinsic quality of brassicaceous vegetables: How secondary plant metabolites are affected by genetic, environmental, and agronomic factors

Abstract From the order Brassicales, different plant organs, such as inflorescences (e.g. broccoli and cauliflower), leaves (e.g. kale and pak choi), heads (e.g. white and red cabbage), as well as roots and bulbs (e.g. radish and turnip), are frequently consumed brassicaceaous vegetables. The order Brassicales is characterized by a specific group of secondary plant metabolites, namely the glucosinolates. Glucosinolates and their breakdown products the isothiocyanates are linked to conferring beneficial health effects. In addition, some studies have also highlighted the beneficial health effects of phenolic compounds and carotenoids, both well-known as antioxidants. Of interest is that the profiles and concentrations of secondary plant metabolites vary enormously between the species, and genetic factors are thought to affect this the most. Further, environmental and agronomical factors are also known to change concentrations of secondary plant metabolites enormously. The main physiological mechanism to produce secondary plant metabolites is defense. Thus, the intrinsic quality, including color, aroma, taste, and beneficial health properties of brassicaceous vegetables, is remarkably affected by secondary plant metabolite profiles and concentrations.

Mechanisms of Selenium Enrichment and Measurement in Brassicaceous Vegetables, and Their Application to Human Health.

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for human health. Se deficiency affects hundreds of millions of people worldwide, particularly in developing countries, and there is increasing awareness that suboptimal supply of Se can also negatively affect human health. Selenium enters the diet primarily through the ingestion of plant and animal products. Although, plants are not dependent on Se they take it up from the soil through the sulphur (S) uptake and assimilation pathways. Therefore, geographic differences in the availability of soil Se and agricultural practices have a profound influence on the Se content of many foods, and there are increasing efforts to biofortify crop plants with Se. Plants from the Brassicales are of particular interest as they accumulate and synthesize Se into forms with additional health benefits, such as methylselenocysteine (MeSeCys). The Brassicaceae are also well-known to produce the glucosinolates; S-containing compounds with demonstrated human health value. Furthermore, the recent discovery of the selenoglucosinolates in the Brassicaceae raises questions regarding their potential bioefficacy. In this review we focus on Se uptake and metabolism in the Brassicaceae in the context of human health, particularly cancer prevention and immunity. We investigate the close relationship between Se and S metabolism in this plant family, with particular emphasis on the selenoglucosinolates, and consider the methodologies available for identifying and quantifying further novel Se-containing compounds in plants. Finally, we summarize the research of multiple groups investigating biofortification of the Brassicaceae and discuss which approaches might be most successful for supplying Se deficient populations in the future.

Supercooling Points of Murgantia histrionica (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and Field Mortality in the Mid-Atlantic United States Following Lethal Low Temperatures.

The harlequin bug, Murgantia histrionica (Hahn), is a serious pest of brassicaceous vegetables in southern North America. While this insect is limited in its northern range of North America, presumably by severe cold winter temperatures, specific information on its cold hardiness remains unknown. We determined the supercooling points (SCPs) for Maryland and Virginia adult populations and found no significant difference among these populations. SCPs were similar for adults ([Formula: see text] = -10.35 °C; [Formula: see text] 2.54) and early and late instar ([Formula: see text] = -11.00 °C; [Formula: see text] 4.92) and between adult males and females. However, SCPs for first instars ([Formula: see text] = -21.56 °C; [Formula: see text]1.47) and eggs ([Formula: see text] = -23.24 °C; [Formula: see text]1.00) were significantly lower. We also evaluated field survival of overwintering harlequin bug adults during extreme cold episodes of January 2014 and January 2015, which produced widespread air temperatures lower than -15 °C and subfreezing soil temperatures in the Mid-Atlantic Region. After the 48-h episode in 2014, bug mortality in exposed field sites averaged 88%, compared to <5% mortality of bugs sheltered in an unheated greenhouse (recorded minimum temperature 4.4 °C). After the 2015 episode, ∼80% of adults that were established in the field the previous November and then sheltered in an unheated garage during the episode, died, in contrast to 96% mortality in exposed field sites. Our results provide new information on M. histrionica overwintering biology, and thermal limitations to its distribution, which leads to improved predictive capabilities to forecast pest severity.

Induction of Cytochrome P450 Activity by the Interaction of Chlorantraniliprole and Sinigrin in the Spodoptera exigua (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

The joint toxicity of chlorantraniliprole, a novel insecticide that acts on ryanodine receptors, and sinigrin, a natural plant defense compound from brassicaceous vegetables, to the larvae of Spodoptera exigua (Hübner) was determined in this paper. Additionally, the joint effects of the two compounds on cytochrome P450 enzyme activity and on the expression levels of mRNA of three P450 genes (including CYP9A9, CYP6B, and CYP4G37) and an NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase gene (HQ852049) were investigated. The toxicity of the mixture of chlorantraniliprole and sinigrin to fourth-instar S. exigua larvae was 1.60-fold higher than the toxicity of the chlorantraniliprole-only treatment after 24 h. Induced by chlorantraniliprole and sinigrin, the specific activity of the P450 O-deethylase was affected in a time-, dose-, and organ-specific manner in fifth-instar S. exigua larvae. The effects were more pronounced in the midgut than in the fat body. The specific activity of the P450 O-deethylase in almost all treatments increased at 12, 24, and 36 h posttreatment compared with that in the control. Based on real-time PCR analyses, the expression levels of the P450 genes CYP9A9, CYP6B, and CYP4G37 and the NADPH cytochrome P450 reductase gene HQ852049 in fifth-instar S. exigua larvae were induced by chlorantraniliprole and sinigrin, and the trends were similar to the specific activity of the P450 O-deethylase. Therefore, the CYP9A9, CYP6B, and HQ852049 in the tested genes were the most inducible genes that were expressed when the S. exigua larvae were exposed to chlorantraniliprole and sinigrin.

Exploring the effects of genotypical and phenotypical variations in bitter taste sensitivity on perception, liking and intake of brassica vegetables in the UK

Brassicaceous vegetables (BV) have chemoprotective effects and yet consumption of BV in the UK is low. Previous studies suggest perception, liking and intake of BV are influenced by bitter taste sensitivity which this study further explores. Phenotypical taste sensitivity of 136 subjects was classified using propythiouracil (PROP) and sodium chloride and fungiform papillae density (FPD) was measured from tongue images. Polymorphisms of TAS2R38 and gustin (CA6) genes were analysed. Liking and bitterness of four raw vegetables (two BV (broccoli and white cabbage) and two non-BV (spinach and courgette)), as well as habitual consumption, were evaluated.There was a significant association between TAS2R38 genotype and PROP taster status (p<0.0001) and between FPD and PROP taster status (p=0.029). Individuals with greater sensitivity for PROP predominantly had TAS2R38 PAV/PAV genotype and greater FPD. BV were perceived as more bitter than non-BV (p<0.0001) with PAV/PAV subjects perceiving significantly stronger bitter intensity. There was a significant difference in liking for the four vegetables (p=0.002), and between consumers of different TAS2R38 genotype (p=0.0024). Individuals with TAS2R38 AVI/AVI genotype liked BV more. Regarding intake, both PAV/PAV and AVI/AVI individuals consumed more total vegetables and BV than PAV/AVI. Although PROP nontasters tended to consume more vegetables and BV than the other two phenotype groups, liking and vegetable intake were not significantly affected by taste phenotype. Although there was not a significant effect of CA6 genotype on bitterness ratings, there was a significant interaction between CA6 and TAS2R38, and in addition CA6 genotype was significantly associated with BV intake. However, these effects require validation as the proportions of the population with the CA6 G/G genotype was extremely small (7%).Our results confirmed that bitter taste perception in vegetables was influenced by both genotype and phenotype of bitter taste sensitivity. Moreover, our findings demonstrated that neither genotype nor phenotype of taste sensitivity alone accurately predict vegetable liking and intake as demographic factors were found to have a substantial influence.

Recent progress in the use of 'omics technologies in brassicaceous vegetables.

Continuing advances in ‘omics methodologies and instrumentation is enhancing the understanding of how plants cope with the dynamic nature of their growing environment. ‘Omics platforms have been only recently extended to cover horticultural crop species. Many of the most widely cultivated vegetable crops belong to the genus Brassica: these include plants grown for their root (turnip, rutabaga/swede), their swollen stem base (kohlrabi), their leaves (cabbage, kale, pak choi) and their inflorescence (cauliflower, broccoli). Characterization at the genome, transcript, protein and metabolite levels has illustrated the complexity of the cellular response to a whole series of environmental stresses, including nutrient deficiency, pathogen attack, heavy metal toxicity, cold acclimation, and excessive and sub-optimal irradiation. This review covers recent applications of ‘omics technologies to the brassicaceous vegetables, and discusses future scenarios in achieving improvements in crop end-use quality.

Monitoring Field Populations ofPlutella xylostella(Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) for Resistance to Eight Insecticides in China

The diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae), is the main destructive insect pest of brassicaceous vegetables around the world. It has developed resistance to various classes of insecticides. However, the current status of insecticide resistance in P. xylostella has not been examined in China. In this study, concentration-mortality responses of P. xylostella to 8 insecticides, including abamectin, chlorantraniliprole, spinosad, beta-cypermethrin, chlorfenapyr, diafenthiuron, chlorfluazuron and the bio-pesticide Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki (Btk) were evaluated. The results showed that almost all of the tested populations had developed high to very high resistance to abamectin and beta-cypermethrin, with resistance ratios ranging from 62.9 to 1494.7-fold. Chlorantraniliprole was very effective against P. xylostella in most tested populations except those from Taihe and Wuxi. Approximately 61% of tested populations displayed moderate resistance to spinosad, while other field populations showed minor changes (3-fold) in their susceptibility to this insecticide. Obvious variation (93-fold) of susceptibility to chlorfenapyr existed in field populations of which 32% displayed low level resistance, and 36% exhibited moderate resistance. Only one field population (Wuxi) showed very high resistance to chlorfenapyr (RR = 260.1). Diafenthiuron and chlorfluazuron were highly effective against all of the tested populations with resistance ratios (RR) ranging from 0.4 to 8.7 — fold. Decreased susceptibility ranging to moderate resistance to Btk was observed (RR = 3.8 – 35.3). Significant correlations were detected between the values of logLC50 of chlorantraniliprole and 4 insecticides (abamectin, spinosad, beta-cypermethrin and chlorfenapyr). The results of this study provided valuable information for choosing alternative insecticides and for integrated resistance management of P. xylostella.

Does insecticide application in a winter oilseed rape field influence the abundance of pollen beetle Meligethes aeneus in nearby ornamental flowers and vegetables?

Pollen beetle is a pest that attacks oilseed rape as well as many other brassicaceous crops, garden vegetables and ornamental flowers. The present study was primarily carried out to investigate whether insecticide application in brassicaceous field crops might influence the abundance of pollen beetles in nearby private garden flowers and vegetables. At peak emergence of the new generation of pollen beetles, a significantly higher number of beetles were found in flowers, and in window traps, alongside untreated as opposed to alongside treated sections of the winter oilseed rape (WOSR) field. However, the type of flower played a role in the number of pollen beetles found in the flowers. The presence of pollen beetles in both ornamental and wild flowers was also significantly influenced by the direction of placement of the flowers. No pollen beetle, neither overwintering nor newly emerged, was observed in any of the brassicaceous vegetables placed along the field. The number of pollen beetles in the WOSR field strongly influenced the number of pollen beetles in nearby flowers of preference to the beetles, and insecticide treatment with Biscaya (thiacloprid) against pollen beetle in oilseed rape may thus help, indirectly, to protect nearby garden flowers from damage.

Is liking and intake of brassicaceous vegetables determined by PROP taster status and TAS2R38 genotype?

Is liking and intake of brassicaceous vegetables determined by PROP taster status and TAS2R38 genotype?

Eriophyoid mites (Acari: Eriophyoidea) on Brassicaceae: a new species of Metaculus from Turkey and remarks on other species associated with brassicaceous plants

Populations of eriophyoid mites infesting Brassicaceae were surveyed and two species belonging to the genus MetaculusKeifer were found in an attempt to find enemies of some brassicaceous weeds in Turkey. A new species, Metaculus lep-idifolii n. sp., was collected on Lepidium latifolium L., commonly known as broadleaved or perennial pepperweed, man-ifesting leaf curling and deformation. In addition, Metaculus rapistri Carmona, was collected and redescribed from Isatistinctoria L., dyer’s woad, as a new host record and report for the Turkish fauna. This species also causes leaf deformation.A key to all known species of Metaculus found worldwide is provided. Because only a few eriophyoid species have beenrecorded on brassicaceous vegetables and weeds so far and the mite taxonomy appears to be confusing, remarks are given about the current state of knowledge. The new genus combination for Aculops lepidii is also given.

The potential role of nutritional genomics tools in validating high health foods for cancer control: Broccoli as example

Nutritional genomics reflects gene/nutrient interactions, utilising high-throughput genomic tools in nutrition research. The field also considers the contribution of individual genotypes to wellness and the risk of chronic disease (nutrigenetics), and how such genetic predisposition may be modified by appropriate diets. For example, high consumption of brassicaceous vegetables, including broccoli, has regularly associated with low cancer risk. Bioactive chemicals in broccoli include glucosinolates, plant pigments including kaempferol, quercetin, lutein and carotenoids, various vitamins, minerals and amino acids. Cancer prevention is hypothesised to act through various mechanisms including modulation of xenobiotic metabolising enzymes, NF-E2 p45-related factor-2 (Nrf2)-mediated stress-response mechanisms, and protection against genomic instability. Broccoli and broccoli extracts also regulate the progression of cancer through anti-inflammatory effects, effects on signal transduction, epigenetic effects and modulation of the colonic microflora. Human intervention studies with broccoli and related foods, using standard biomarker methodologies, reveal part of a complex picture. Nutrigenomic approaches, especially transcriptomics, enable simultaneous study of various signalling pathways and networks. Phenotypic, genetic and/or metabolic stratification may identify individuals most likely to respond positively to foods or diets. Jointly, these technologies can provide proof of human efficacy, and may be essential to ensure effective market transfer and uptake of broccoli and related foods.