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This research project seeks to study the effects of vegetable storage, preparation and cooking, on glucosinolate and related metabolite content of Brassica vegetables.
<p>Initially the project is isolating and purifying seven common glucosinolates found in green cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, and their isothiocyanate and amine derivatives.
<p>Three of these will be compared with stable isotope substituted standard supplied from project T01027 which is running in parallel with this contract.
<p>Analytical methods will be developed and validated before being used to measure levels of the glucosinolates in green cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussels sprouts.
Research to date suggests that Brassica vegetables (green cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and Brussel sprouts) in the diet contribute significantly to a decreased risk of cancer, particularly for tumours of the lung, stomach, colon and rectum.
<p>This effect is mediated by glucosinolates, (a group of natural products) which are broken down in the gut to produce chemopreventative products called isothiocyanates.
<p>As isothiocyanates are highly unstable during cooking, it is not known how best to store and cook glucosinolate-rich vegetables in order to produce a palatable yet highly chemopreventative meal component.
<p>Find more about this project and other FSA food safety-related projects at the <a href="http://www.food.gov.uk/science/research/" target="_blank">Food Standards Agency Research webpage</a>.