Edible sprouts with germinating seeds of a few days of age are naturally rich in nutrients and other bioactive compounds. Among them, the cruciferous (Brassicaceae) sprouts stand out due to their high contents of glucosinolates (GLSs) and phenolic compounds.
Edible Sprout | Main Bioactive Compounds | Main Bioactivities Associated with Sprout Consumption | References | |||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Broccoli | ( Brassica oleracea var. Italica) | Flavonoids | Quercetin, kaempferol, and flavonol glycosides | Cancer risk (↓) | Degenerative diseases (↓) | Obesity-related metabolic disorders (↓) | Allergic nasal symptoms (↓) | Inflammation (↓) | Pain (↓) | Antioxidant capacity (↑) | ||||||||||||||||
No specific effect monitored | Humans | FA 14:1, FA 16:1, FA 18:1, FA 14:0, FA 16:0, FA 18:0, dehydroepiandrosterone, glutathione, cysteine, and glutamine (↑) | Deoxy-uridin monophosohate (↓) |
[29] | Phenolic acids | Chlorogenic, sinapic, and ferulic acid derivatives | ||||||||||||||||||||
Phenolic acids | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ferulic, sinapic, caffeic, and | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
p | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
-coumaric acids, and derivatives | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Glucosinolates | Gluconapin, glucoalyssin, gluconasturtin, progoitrin, glucobrassicin, 4-hydroxyglucobrassicin, 4-methoxyglucobrassicin, and neoglucobrassicin |
Raw Edible Sprout | Elicitor Treatment | Elicitor Classification | Application | Target Compound and Increase | Reference | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Broccoli sprouts (Brassica oleracea) | (7 days of growth) | Sucrose, fructose, and glucose | (146 mM) | Biotic elicitor | In 0.5% agar media for 5 days after sowing seeds | Total anthocyanins (10.0%) |
[14] |
[28] |
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[ | ] | Broccoli sprouts (Brassica oleracea) | (7 days of growth) | Sucrose and mannitol | (176 mM) | Biotic elicitor | Hydroponic system for 5 days after sowing seeds | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Radish sprouts | Energy metabolism | Decrease glucose level | Drosophila melanogaster | Total anthocyanins (40.0%) and phenolics (60.0%) | Total glucosinolates (50.0%) | Expression of spargel (↑) |
[14] |
[28] |
[30] |
[43] |
Glucosinolates | Glucoraphanin, glucoiberin, glucoraphenin, glucobrassicin, 4-hydroxyglucobrassicin, 4-methoxyglucobrassicin, and neoglucobrassicin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Broccoli | ( Brassica oleracea) | (7 days of growth) | Met (5 mM) | Trp (10 mM) | SA (100 μM) | MeJA (25 μM) | Biotic elicitors | (Met, Trp, and plant hormones—SA and MeJA) | Daily exogenous spraying during 3, 5, and 7 days | Met: | glucoiberin, glucoraphanin, and glucoerucin (30.0%) | Trp: | 4-hydroxyglucobrassicin, glucobrassicin, 4-Methoxyglucobrassicin, and neoglucobrassicin (80.0%) | SA: | 4-hydroxyglucobrassicin, glucobrassicin, 4-Methoxyglucobrassicin, and neoglucobrassicin (30.0%) | MeJA: | 4-hydroxyglucobrassicin, glucobrassicin, 4-Methoxyglucobrassicin, neoglucobrassicin (50.0%) |
[15] |
[29] |
Isothiocyanates | Sulphoraphane, iberin, and indole-3-carbinol | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Broccoli sprouts | Pregnancy | Prevention of brain injury in newborns | Rats | Not determined |
[31] |
[44 | Broccoli sprouts | ( Brassica oleracea) | Sucrose (146 mM) | Biotic elicitor | In 0.5% agar media for 5 days after sowing | Total GLS (2.0-fold) |
[14] |
[28] |
Radish | ( Raphanus sativus L.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Broccoli sprouts | ( Brassica oleracea) | (7 days of growth) | Flavonoids | Mg (300 mg L | Quercetin | −1) | Risk of cancer (↓) | Heart disease (↓) | Diabetes (↓) | Antioxidant capacity (↑) | Abiotic elicitor |
[8] |
[9] |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Suplementation with MgSO | 4 | Increase of total ascorbic acid contain (29.1–44.5%) |
[16] |
[27] |
Phenolic acids | Ferulic, caffeic and p-coumaric acids, and derivatives | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Broccoli sprouts | Inflammation and oxidative stress | Modulation of inflammation and vascular events | Humans | Not determined |
[32] |
[45] |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Broccoli sprouts | Inflammation in overweight population | Anti-inflammatory activity | Humans | IL-6 and C-reactive protein (↓) |
[33] |
[46] |
Radish sprouts | ( raphanistrum subsp. sativus) | (12 days of growth) | MeJA (100 μM) | Biotic elicitor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Broccoli sprout | powder | (plant hormones—MeJA) | Treatment with MeJA in growth chamber under dark conditions | Glucoalyssin (1.4-fold) | Glucoerucin (2.0-fold) | Glucotropaeolin (1.8-fold) | Glucoraphasatin (1.4-fold) |
[17] |
Diabetes | Anti-inflammatory effect | Humans |
[ |
C-reactive protein (↓) | 30] |
[34] |
[ |
Glucosinolates | Glucoraphenin, dehydroerucin, glucobrassicin, and 4-methoxyglucobrassicin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
] | Radish sprouts | ( raphanistrum subsp. sativus) | (12 days of growth) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Broccoli sprouts | MeJA (100 μM) | Light | Hypertension | Biotic elicitor | (plant hormones—MeJA-) | Abiotic elicitor | Does not improve endothelial function of hypertension in humans | Treatment with MeJA in growth chamber under light | Humans | Glucoraphanin (1.5-fold) | Glucoerucin (1.6-fold) | Glucotropaeolin (1.3-fold) | 4-hydroxyglucobrassicin (4.4-fold) | Pergonidin (1.7-fold) | Cyanidin (2.0-fold) | Not determined |
[17] |
[35 |
Isothiocyanates | Sulforaphene, sulforaphane, and indole-3-carbinol | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[ | ] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
] | [ | ] |
Radish sprouts | ( raphanistrum subsp. sativus) | (7 days of growth) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Broccoli sprouts | Mg (300 mg L−1) | Hypertension | Abiotic elicitor | Attenuation of oxidative stress, hypertension, and inflammation | Supplementation with MgSO4 | Rats | Phenolic compounds | (13.9–21.7%) | Not determined | [16] |
[27] |
[36] |
[49] |
Kale | ( Brassica oleracea var. acephala) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Radish sprouts | ( raphanistrum subsp. sativus) | Flavonoids | Quercetin and cyanidin | NaCl (100 mM) | Risk of cancer (↓) | Heart disease (↓) | Diabetes (↓) | Antioxidant capacity (↑) | Abiotic elicitor | [9] |
[10] |
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Rutabaga sprouts | Thyroid function and iodine deficiency. Role as goitrogenic foods | Protective effect against thyroid damage | Goitrogenic activity not discarded | In 0.5% agar media for 3.5 and 7.0 days after sowing | Total phenolics (30 and 50% in 5 and 7 day-old sprouts, respectively) |
Male rats | Total GLS (50% and 120% in 5 and 7 day-old sprouts, respectively) |
[18] |
[31] |
Dietary source of iodine | GPX1, GPX3, and FRAP (↓) |
[37] |
[50] |
Phenolic acids | Chlorogenic and ferulic acids | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pak Choi sprouts | ( rapa subsp. chinensis) | Application of different wavelengths of LED light (white, blue, and red) | Abiotic elicitor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Broccoli sprouts | Medium of perlite for 5 days in darkness and 18 h at the different wavelengths | Total carotenoid content (12.1% and 9.2% with white light (respect to blue and red light, respectively) | Hepatic and renal toxicity [11] |
[25] |
Glucosinolates | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Antioxidant activity | Female rats | Phase-II enzymes (↑) |
Pak Choi sprouts | Glucoraphanin, glucoiberin, gluconapin, gluconasturtin, progoitrin, gluconapin, gluconapoleiferin, sinigrin, glucobrassicin, 4-hydroxyglucobrassicin, 4-methoxyglucobrassicin, and neoglucobrassicin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lipid peroxidation and apoptosis (↓) | [ | 38] |
[51] |
( rapa subsp. chinensis) | Application of different wavelengths of LED light (white, blue, and red) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Broccoli sprouts | Abiotic elicitor | Medium of perlite for 5 days in darkness and 18 h at the different wavelengths | Bowel habits | Decrease in the constipation scoring system | Decrease of Bifidobacterium | Humans | Enhanced transcription of genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis | ( CYP97A3, CYP97C1, βLCY, εLCY, β-OHASE1, PDS, PSY, VDE, ZEP) | Not determined |
[11] |
[25] |
[39] |
[52] |
Pak choi | ( Brassica rapa var. chinensis) | Flavonoids | Kaempferol, quercetin, and isorhamnetin glucosides | Risk of cancer (↓) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Kale Sprouts | ( oleracea var. sabellica) | Heart disease (↓) | Diabetes (↓) | Antioxidant capacity (↑) |
[9 |
Application of different light wavelengths | (470, 660, and 730 nm) | Abiotic elicitor | ][10] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Seeds stratified for 2 days, exposed to light for 1 h, exposed to darkness for between 1 and 3 days and later, the specific light treatment | Total GLS content (31.7%) |
[19] |
[32] |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Radish, Chinese kale and pak choi sprouts | (3 days of growth) | Glucose | (5 g 100 mL −1) | Biotic elicitor | Hydroponic system for 3 days after sowing seeds | Total phenolics (20.0%), | gluconapin (150.0% and 60.0% in Chinese kale and pak choi, respectively), | glucobrassicanapin (110-fold in pak choi) |
[20] |
[33] |
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Different Brassica sprouts (broccoli, turnip, and rutabaga) | MeJA (25 μM) | JA (150 μM) | Sucrose (146 mM) | Biotic elicitors | (Sucrose and plant hormones—MeJA and JA) | Sprayed for 5 days before harvest | Total GLS | (>50%, broccoli; >20.0% turnip; >100.0% rutabaga) |
[21] |
[34] |
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Radish sprouts | ( raphanistrum subsp. sativus) | (8 days of growth) | MeJA (25 μM) | SA (100 μM) | Glucose (277 mM) | Biotic elicitors | (glucose and plant hormones—MeJA and JA) | Sprayed for 5 days before harvest | Total GLS (20.0%) |
[21] |
[34] |
Matrix | Pathophysiological Condition | Effect | Model | Action Mechanism Z | Ref. | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Broccoli sprouts | Metabolic profile | |||||||||||||||||
Broccoli sprouts | ||||||||||||||||||
Pain assessment and analgesia | ||||||||||||||||||
Dose-dependent nociceptive activity | Rats | Agonists of central and peripheral opioid receptors |
[40] |
[53] |
||||||||||||||
Tuscan black cabbage sprout extract | Xenobiotic metabolism and antioxidant defense | Improvement of the detoxification of xenebiotics | Rats | Induction of phase-II enzymes and boosting of the enzymatic activity of catalase, NAD(P)H:quinone reductase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione peroxidase |
[41] |
[54] |
||||||||||||
Japanese Radish Sprout | Diabetes | Decrease in plasma fructosamine, glucose, and insulin in diabetic rats | Rats | Not determined |
[27] |
[40] |
||||||||||||
Radish sprouts | Diabetes | Increase in blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoproteins, and very low density lipoproteins | Rats | Not determined |
[42] |
[55] |
||||||||||||
Broccoli sprout extracts | Skin disorders | Induction of phase-II response | Mice and humans | NQO1 enzyme activity (↑) |
[43] |
[56] |
||||||||||||
Broccoli sprout extracts | Skin disorders | Protection against inflammation, edema, and carcinogens in humans | Humans | Phase-II enzymes (↑) | NQO1 enzyme activity (↑) |
[44] |
[57] |
|||||||||||
Broccoli sprout homogenate | Physiological upper airway | No specific effect monitored | Humans | Phase-II enzymes (↑) |
[45] |
[58] |
||||||||||||
Broccoli sprouts | Physiological upper airway | No specific effect monitored | Humans | Nrf2 activity (↑) | Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor (↑) |
[46] |
[59] |
|||||||||||
Broccoli sprout extract | Asthma | Blocking the bronchoconstrictor hyperresponsiveness of some asthmatic phenotypes | Humans | Activity of Nrf2 regulated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory genes (↓) |
[47] |
[60] |
||||||||||||
Broccoli sprout extract | Hepatic disturbances | Improvement of liver functions and reduction of oxidative stress | Rats | Not determined |
[48] |
[61] |
||||||||||||
Broccoli sprout-based supplements | General carcinogenic processes | Chemopreventive effect | Humans | Not determined |
[49] |
[62] |
||||||||||||
Broccoli sprout extract | Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma | Chemopreventive activity of sulforaphane against carcinogen-induced oral cancer | Mice | Time and dose dependent induction of Nrf2 and Nrf2 target genes (NQO1 and GCLC) | Dephosphorilation of pSTAT3 |
[50] |
[63] |
|||||||||||
Broccoli sprouts homogenate | Sickle cell disease (hemoglobinopathy) | Change in the gene expression levels | Humans | Expression of Nrf2 targets (HMOX1 and HBG1) (↑) |
[51] |
[64] |
||||||||||||
Broccoli sprouts | Oxidative stress | Improvement in cholesterol metabolism and decrease in oxidative stress | Humans | Not determined |
[52] |
[65] |
||||||||||||
Broccoli sprouts | General carcinogenic processes | Chemopreventive agent | Humans | Histone deacetylase activity (↓) |
[53] |
[66] |
||||||||||||
Broccoli sprouts | Unspecific frame | Not determined | Humans | Histone deacetylase activity (↓) |
[54] |
[67] |
||||||||||||
Broccoli sprouts | Antimicrobial activity against Helicobacter pylori | Reduction of Helicobacter pylori colonization in mice | Enhancement of sequelae of Helicobacter pylori infection in mice and humans | Mice and humans | Not determined |
[55] |
[68] |
|||||||||||
Broccoli sprout extract | Allergic response | Broccoli sprouts reduce the impact of particulate pollution of allergic disease and asthma | Humans | Not determined |
[56] |
[69] |
||||||||||||
Broccoli sprout extract | Prostate cancer | Inconclusive | Humans | Not determined |
[57] |
[70] |
||||||||||||
Broccoli sprout and myrosinase-treated broccoli sprout extracts | Chemoprevention of carcinogenesis processes | Inconclusive | Humans | No dose response was observed for molecular targets |
[58] |
[71] |
||||||||||||
Broccoli sprout extract | Psychiatric disorders | Improvement of the cognitive function in patients affected by schizophrenia | Humans | Not determined |
[59] |
[72] |
||||||||||||
Broccoli sprout extract | Type II diabetes | Reduction of fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin | Mice | (↑) Nuclear translocation of Nrf2 | (↓) Glucose production and intolerance |
[60] |
[73] |
|||||||||||
Broccoli sprout extract | Neurological disorder | Inconclusive improvement of Autism symptoms | Humans | (↑) Gene transcription in multiple cell signaling pathways |
[61] |
[74] |
||||||||||||
Broccoli sprout homogenate | Viral infections | Enhancement of antiviral defense response | Humans | Modulation of natural killer cell activation | Production of granzyme B by natural killer cells (↑) |
[62] |
[75] |
Z FA, fatty acids; FRAP, ferric reducing activity of plasma; GCLC, glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic subunit; GPX1, cytosolic glutathione peroxidase-1; GPX3, cytosolic glutathione peroxidase-3; HBG1, Hemoglobin subunit gamma 1; HMOX1, heme oxygenase (decycling) 1; IL-6, interleukina 6; NAD(P)H, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate; NQO1, NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase 1; TNF-α, tumor necrosis factor-alpha; Nrf2, nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2; pSTAT3, signal transducer and activator of transcription-3; TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone. (↓↑) Non-significant variation, (↓) decrease, and (↑) increase.
Authors would like to thanks the funding of this research by the "Fundación Seneca" - Murcia Regional Agency for Science and Technology (CARM), Project Reference N# 20855/PI/18.