Glucosinolates in salad greens

• Main Authors: Galvez, Gabriella Vita B., Mateo, John Felinor, III
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2010
• Subjects: Glucosinolates; Glucosides; Salad greens; Salad vegetables; Chemistry
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/7855
• Institution: De La Salle University

Glucosinolates, a group of sulfur--containing glucosides known to exhibit biological activities with potential benefits to human health, were investigated in extracts of several well-known vegetables used in salads, including four locally-available varieties of lettuce (Lactuca sativa), spinach (Spinacia oleracea), alfalfa (Medico sativa) and watercress (Nasturtium officianale). Leaf homogenates and freeze-dried samples were desulfated and analyzed for glucosinolate content by reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A spectrophotometric method based on the hydrolysis of sinigrin was applied in the assay for mayonnaise activity and hydrolysis products were determined by gas chromatography. The resulting data pointed to the presence in varying amounts of sinigrin (allyl glucosinolate) in all of the samples other glucosinolates predominant in watercress were identified by LC-MS/MS. All vegetable extracts exhibited significant myrosinase activity. The results of this investigation show that many of the commonly used salad greens contain considerable levels of glucosinolates as well as the enzyme responsible for the release of potentially bioactive compounds.