Glucosinolates (GSLs) are a class of sulfur-containing compounds found predominantly in the genus Brassica of the Brassicaceae family. Certain edible plants in Brassica, known as Brassica vegetables, are among the most commonly consumed vegetables in the world. Over the last three decades, mounting evidence has suggested an inverse association between consumption of Brassica vegetables and the risk of various types of cancer. The biological activities of Brassica vegetables have been largely attributed to the hydrolytic products of GSLs. GSLs can be hydrolyzed by enzymes; thermal or chemical degradation also breaks down GSLs. There is considerable variation of GSLs in Brassica spp., which are caused by genetic and environmental factors. Most Brassica vegetables are consumed after cooking; common cooking methods have a complex influence on the levels of GSLs. The variation of GSLs in Brassica vegetables and the influence of cooking and processing methods ultimately affect their intake and health-promoting properties. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, Volume 12 is March 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Sweet corn is a rich source of dietary carotenoids. In this study, the effects of postharvest handling and cooking on carotenoids in sweet corn were investigated. The fresh bicolor sweet corn was harvested from the field, which was processed into samples that represented the two major retail types (farmers market and grocery store) and two common cooking methods (boiling and steaming). Both free and bound forms of carotenoids were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography and LC–MS. Nine carotenoids were identified, with lutein and zeaxanthin being the predominant ones. The postharvest handling and cooking either did not change or reduced the free carotenoids but increased the total bound carotenoids. The total carotenoids in all processed samples were not altered or slightly decreased. The percentages of total bound carotenoids in total carotenoids increased in all processed and cooked samples. The changes of individual carotenoids depended on the processing/cooking methods and the chemical structures.

Sweet corn is an important source of carbohydrates in the human diet. In this study, the effects of the two most commonly used cooking methods (boiling and steaming) on the contents of individual sugars, sugar alcohols, oligosaccharides, total starch, resistant starch (RS), phytoglycogen, water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), and dietary fibers (DF) were investigated using yellow and bicolor sweet corn samples. Four simple sugars, sucrose, glucose, fructose, and maltose, were identified. Boiling and steaming did not alter the concentrations of sucrose but resulted in the decrease of other three minor sugars. Sorbitol and mannitol were identified as the primary sugar alcohols. Sorbitol decreased in cooked samples, while mannitol remained unchanged regardless of the cooking method. Oligosaccharides and phytoglycogen were not detected in either variety. Boiling and steaming did not alter the content of WSC, total starch, or higher-molecular-weight DF but led to a significant reduction of RS and total DF. This study provided understanding on how cooking may affect the health benefits and quality of sweet corn.

Fruits are important foods and may be processed into juice, jam and snack products. During the processing, fruit seeds are generated as byproducts and discarded at a cost and with potential environmental contamination. Fruit seeds contain high contents of lipids together with bioactive compounds such as phytosterols, tocopherols, phenolics including flavonoids, and carotenoids and, thus, can be used to produce functional food oils. In this review, the chemical profiles of fatty acids and bioactive compounds, as well as potential health beneficial properties of fruit seed oils, are introduced. The clarification of these pieces of information could stimulate further interest in research and commercialization of fruit seed oils and enhance the profitability of the fruit production and processing industries while reducing environmental hazards.

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