Cruciferous vegetables contain compounds with antioxidant properties (e.g. carotenoids, vitamin C and folates) and can alter the activity of xenobiotic metabolism (i.e. isothiocyanates). These constituents may be particularly important for subjects who are exposed to free radicals and genotoxic compounds, including smokers. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of broccoli intake on b...

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. var. italica) is one of the most important vegetable crops cultivated worldwide. The market demand for broccoli still increasing due to its richness in vitamins, anthocyanins, mineral substances, fiber, secondary metabolites and other nutrients. famous metabolites, glucosinolates, sulforaphane selenium have protective effects against cancer. Significant progress h...

Pollen development is an important and complex biological process in the sexual reproduction of flowering plants. Although the cytological characteristics of pollen development are well defined, the regulation of its early stages remains largely unknown. In the present study, miRNAs were explored in the early development of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) pollen. A total of 333 known ...

Sulforaphane is a promising agent under preclinical evaluation in many models of disease prevention. This bioactive phytochemical affects many molecular targets in cellular and animal models; however, amongst the most sensitive is Keap1, a key sensor for the adaptive stress response system regulated through the transcription factor Nrf2. Keap1 is a sulfhydryl-rich protein that represses Nrf2 si...

The tools of insect pest management include host plant resistance, biological control, and insecticides and how they are integrated will influence the durability of each. We created a detailed model of the population dynamics and population genetics of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella L., and its parasitoid, Diadegma insulare (Cresson), to study long-term pest management in broccoli Br...

Polycomb group (PcG) proteins regulate major developmental processes in Arabidopsis. EMBRYONIC FLOWER 2 (EMF2), the VEFS domain-containing PcG gene, regulates diverse genetic pathways and is required for vegetative development and plant survival. Despite widespread EMF2-like sequences in plants, little is known about their function other than in Arabidopsis and rice. To study the role of EMF2 i...

Selenium uptake and transformation was studied in Se-enriched Broccoli (Brassica olearacea). Plants were grown in hydroponic culture and exposed during 40 days to Na2SeO3 (1 mg L(-1)). After growing, the plants were harvested and their different parts (roots, stems and fruit) were analyzed by ICP-MS or LC-ICP-MS. Se-species were identified and quantified after enzymatic extraction by using both...

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is a vegetable that requires the application of postharvest techniques to extend its marketability. Controlled atmosphere and 1-MCP treatments are most used to extend the shelf life of broccoli and reduce post-harvest deterioration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the visual, physicochemical and functional changes of broccoli head samples stored a...

Flavonols are gaining increasing interests due to their diverse health benefits for humans. Broccoli is a main flavonol source in our diet, but the genetic variation of flavonols and correlation with antioxidant capacity remain be understood. Here, we examined variations two major kaempferol quercetin florets leaves 15 broccoli accessions by ultra-performance liquid chromatography. accumulated ...

Brassicaceae plants are rich with antioxidant compounds that play a key role for human health. This study wants to characterize two Italian broccoli cultivars (Roya and Santee) black cabbage, evaluating the variation of antioxidants in different portion at developmental stage plants: broccoli, heads stems were sampled, while leaves seeds analyzed. Roja cultivar was also analyzed first second ha...