engleski

Bioactive compounds in Brassica oleracea var. acephala and their role in low temperature stress response

Vegetables from genus Brassica, known under the common name of cruciferous vegetables, have been under the scientific attention for several decades because numerous epidemiological studies provided evidence that diets rich in cruciferous vegetables are associated with lower risk of several types of cancer and other chronic diseases. Mainly, health benefits of cruciferous vegetables are associated with the presence of various phytonutrients from the glucosinolate, polyphenol and carotenoid group. One of the oldest vegetables from the Brassicaceae family, originating in the eastern Mediterranean and used as a food crop as early as 2000 BC, are vegetables from Brassica oleracea 'acephala' (non-headed) group (Brassica oleracea var. acephala). Traditionally, these vegetables are grown in the Croatian coastal region, where raštika (translated to English as kale) is one of the most popular winter crops due to good low temperature tolerance. Often compounds that are associated with health benefits in humans play critical roles in plant growth and survival in the environment. Therefore, in order to study the role of plant specialized metabolites in low temperature stress tolerance, we measured level of the main bioactive compounds (polyphenols, Glucosinolates and carotenoids) in Brassica oleracea var. acephala grown under different temperatures (-8ºC, 8ºC and 21ºC) in laboratory conditions. In addition, we determined the activity of endogenous enzymes, which might influence the level of those specialized metabolites.

Brassica oleracea var. acephala ; bioactive compounds

Founding agency: Unity Through Knowledge Fund, contract no 12/17