Cruciferous vegetables contain high levels of vitamins that can act as antioxidants, compounds that may protect against several degenerative diseases. The edible portions of 50 broccoli and 13 cabbage, kale, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts accessions were assayed to determine variation in alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, gamma-tocopherol, and ascorbate contents within and between subspecies of Brassica oleracea. Ascorbate content was estimated in fresh samples using HPLC. Tissues for carotene and tocopherol analysis were lyophilized prior to extraction. Carotene and tocopherol concentrations were simultaneously measured using a reverse phase HPLC system. Results indicate that there is substantial variation both within and between subspecies. Kale had the highest levels of vitamins, followed by broccoli and Brussels sprouts with intermediate levels and then by cabbage and cauliflower, with comparatively low concentrations. Variability in vitamin content among the broccoli accessions suggests that potential health benefits that accrue with consumption are genotype dependent.

Broccoli, carrots, and green beans (grown in 2 consecutive years) were randomly divided into 3 treatments: fresh-refrigerated (F-R), frozen (FZ) or canned (C) (carrots only). FZ or C vegetables were processed within 24 h and stored for up to 1 yr. F-R vegetables were held at 4 °C for 3 wk (broccoli and green beans) or 6 mo (carrots). Trans b-carotene (Tb-C) and total ascorbic acid (AA) were determined at specified times, before and after microwave cooking. Vitamin content differed between years due to environmental conditions. Blanching resulted in AA loss, but retention remained stable after freezing broccoli and green beans. F-R green beans lost >90% AA after 16 d storage. Linear decreases in AA were found in most F-R or FZ vegetables. Tb-C decreased slightly during freezer storage. Reductions in Tb-C occurred in canned carrots. Microwave cooking had minimal effects on AA or Tb-C.

Our objective was to determine whether steam blanching, storage and preparation affected concentrations of sulforaphane (SF), sulforaphane nitrile (SFN), cyanohydroxybutene (CHB), iberin (I) or iberin nitrile (IN) in fresh and frozen broccoli. Broccoli (var. "Arcadia") was grown in St. Charles, IL over three seasons. Samples were steam blanched (2 min at 93±5°C) within 24h of harvest, frozen and stored at -20°C up to 90 days, and fresh broccoli was stored at 4°C up to 21 days. Samples were analyzed uncooked or microwave cooked. SF, SFN, I, IN and CHB were determined by GC in dichloromethane extracts from lyophilized samples. Rates of loss for CHB and SF were similar during storage of fresh broccoli. Blanching, storage, and microwave cooking decreased (p<0.01) concentrations of each compound in fresh and frozen broccoli.

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