1.
The beneficial effects of Brassica vegetables on human health.
Kapusta-Duch, J, Kopeć, A, Piatkowska, E, Borczak, B, Leszczyńska, T
Roczniki Panstwowego Zakladu Higieny. 2012;(4):389-95
Abstract
The products of plant origin are a rich source of biologically active substances, both nutritive and referred as anti-nutritive. A large group of these compounds are substances with antioxidant activity that fights against free radicals. In the family of Brassicaceae vegetables, Brassica, is the largest and most widely consumed a group of plants in Europe and all over the world. They are characterized by different levels of nutrients. However because of their large and frequent consumption, they may become a significant source of nutrients and bioactive compounds in the daily diet. The beneficial effects of Brassica vegetables on human health have been somewhat linked to phytochemicals. They prevent oxidative stress, induce detoxification enzymes, stimulate immune system, decrease the risk of cancers, inhibit malignant transformation and carcinogenic mutations, as well as, reduce proliferation of cancer cells. Brassica vegetables contain a lot of valuable metabolites, which are effective in chemoprevention of cancer, what has been already documented by numerous studies. Due to the presence of vitamins C and E, carotenoids and antioxidant enzymes such as catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase, these vegetables are considerable source ofantioxidants, and due to the presence of polyphenols and the sulfur-organic compounds exert also antimutagenic action. Moreover, these vegetables are also rich in glucosinolates, which are unstable compounds and undergo degradation into biologically active indoles and isothiocyanates under the influence of enzyme presented in plant tissues- myrosynase. These substances through the induction of enzymatic systems I and II phase of xenobiotics metabolism may affect the elimination or neutralization of carcinogenic and mutagenic factors, and consequently inhibit DNA methylation and cancer development. Despite many healthy benefits upon eating of cruciferous vegetables, it has been also seen a negative impact of their certain ingredients on the human body.
2.
Genetic variation in the hTAS2R38 taste receptor and brassica vegetable intake.
Gorovic, N, Afzal, S, Tjønneland, A, Overvad, K, Vogel, U, Albrechtsen, C, Poulsen, HE
Scandinavian journal of clinical and laboratory investigation. 2011;(4):274-9
Abstract
The human TAS2R38 receptor is believed to be partly responsible for the ability to taste phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), a bitter compound very similar to the bitter glucosinolates found in brassica vegetables. These vegetables and their active compounds have chemo-protective properties. This study investigated the relationship between genetic variation in the hTAS2R38 receptor and the actual consumption of brassica vegetables with the hypothesis that taster status was associated with intake of these vegetables. Furthermore, secondary intake information on alcohol, chocolate, coffee, smoking, BMI and waist-circumference was analysed for association with the hTAS2R38 receptor polymorphisms. The subjects were selected from the Diet, Cancer and Health (DCH) study, which is an ongoing prospective Danish cohort study. Two groups, each consisting of 250 healthy subjects were selected based on their brassica vegetables intake from the upper quartile (≥23 g/day) and the lower quartile (≤7 g/day) daily intake of brassicas from a randomly selected sub-cohort of DCH. DNA was analysed for three functional SNPs in the hTAS2R38 gene. The hTAS2R38 bitter taste receptor haplotypes were not associated with the daily intake of brassica vegetables in our study, and no association between the haplotypes and any of the other variables tested was found. We have demonstrated that the hTAS2R38 haplotypes are not associated with brassica vegetable intake and that results from experimental setups cannot be applied directly to the everyday situation. This indicates that non-genetic factors may have more influence on dietary choice than genetics.