Therapeutic Potential of Brassica oleracea (Broccoli) - A Review

Broccoli, Brassica oleracea, variety Italica, belongs to the family Brassicaceae. Broccoli is a fast growing annual plant that grows 6090 cm tall. They are native to the eastern Mediterranean and Asia Minor, and were later introduced to England and America in the 1700s [1] Figure 1. Plants in general, are known to be extremely rich in a variety of secondary metabolites that are found to possess antimicrobial properties. Many anti-microbial agents that are derived from traditional medicinal plants are available for treating a large number of diseases caused by micro-organisms. The groups of antimicrobial phytochemicals are of several categories that include alkaloids, flavonoids, tannins, polyphenols, essential oils, phenolics and polypeptides [2]. Broccoli also provides many health-promoting properties which attributes to its antioxidant and anti-carcinogenic compounds. It is primely composed of polyphenols, glucosinolates, sulforaphane and selenium [3]. Broccoli sprouts contain negligible quantities of indole glucosinolates, that predominate in the mature vegetable and gives rise to degradation products like indole-3carbinol that has the capability to enhance tumorigenesis. Hence, small quantities of crucifer sprouts may protect against the risk of cancer as effectively as much larger quantities of mature vegetables of the same variety [4]. They are also known to contain a high content of flavonoids, vitamins and mineral nutrients. Vitamin C, insoluble complexes, is a good adjuvant in iron therapy but can interfere with the metabolism of some drugs and antineoplastic agents. The presence of these contents has shown that broccoli provides immense benefits in protecting humans against cancer, and also assures to reduce the risk of specific cancers. One of the phytotherapeutic roles of broccoli is for skin diseases in which the juice of the leaves is used to treat warts [5]. Broccoli is different among the common cruciferous vegetables that possesses high levels of these constituents. The pharmacokinetics of broccoli explains that when hydrolysis takes place, glucoraphanin produces many products that include the bioactive isothiocyanate sulforaphane. The percentage of isothiocyanate sulforaphane present in these vegetables varies depending upon the conditions of hydrolysis, food handling, and preparation procedures. The food in broccoli family results in under dosing of metabolic drugs. The drug-food interactions of broccoli are further described under pharmacological activities [6].