Your mom was right, broccoli is great for
you! A new study has given out more reasons to eat this vegetable.
The University of Illinois researchers have
identified candidate genes controlling the accumulation of phenolic compounds
in broccoli. Consumption of phenolic compounds, including certain flavonoids,
is associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease, type II diabetes,
asthma, and several types of cancer.
"Phenolic compounds have good antioxidant
activity, and there is increasing evidence that this antioxidant activity
affects biochemical pathways affiliated with inflammation in mammals. We need
inflammation because it's a response to disease or damage, but it's also
associated with initiation of a number of degenerative diseases. People whose
diets consist of a certain level of these compounds will have a lesser risk of
contracting these diseases," explained geneticist Jack Juvik.
The researchers crossed two broccoli lines
and tested their progeny in terms of total phenolic content and their ability
to neutralize oxygen radicals in cellular assays. They then used a genetic
technique called quantitative trait locus analysis to search for the genes
involved in generating phenolics in the most promising progeny.
By identifying the genes involved in
accumulating these compounds, the researchers are one step closer to breeding
broccoli and related Brassica vegetables like kale and cabbage with mega-doses
of phenolic compounds.
"It's going to take awhile," Juvik
notes. "This work is a step in that direction, but is not the final
answer. We plan to take the candidate genes we identified here and use them in
a breeding program to improve the health benefits of these vegetables.
Meanwhile, we'll have to make sure yield, appearance, and taste are maintained
as well."
The study appears in Molecular Breeding.
Representative
Image
Source: ANI
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