Broccoli (Brassicaceae) are an excellent dietary source of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) and health-promoting phytochemicals (glucosinolates and phenolic compounds). Glucosinolates are a class of organic compounds derived from glucose and different aminoacids, and characterized by the high number of different side chains. Anthocyanins represent the largest group of natural, water-soluble plant pigments, and approximately 400 anthocyanins have been determined. Glucosinolates and anthocyanins protects plants against various biotic and abiotic stresses and possess antioxidant and antinflammatory activity in humans. In addition, glucosinolates have gained much attention due to the anticarcinogenic activity of isothiocyanates, their major hydrolysis products, molecules able to induce phase 2 detoxication enzymes and protect animals against chemically induced cancer (Zhang, 2012). Young broccoli plant are an especially good source of glucosinolates and anthocyanins and several studies report that growth and environmental conditions could affect the profiles of these secondary plant metabolites (Perez-Balibrea et al., 2008).
We previously developed a rapid and sensitive LC-MS (MRM) method for direct and simultaneous quantification of 14 glucosinolates in broccoli sprouts. In this study, the effect of different abiotic stresses and hormones involved in plant defence responses of the accumulation of glucosinolates and anthocyanins in broccoli sprouts was investigated. Quantitative results show that all treatments modify glucosinolates and anthocyanins profile. In particular, light grown broccoli sprouts treated with sucrose show glucosinolates and anthocyanins levels double than control. This work was ,supported by Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Forestry (MiPAAF) grant "NUTRIGEA" (DM 30281 23112/2009)
