Comparative analysis of active components and antioxidant activities of Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera) and cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)

The applicability of Brussels sprouts, which are widely cultivated in Jeju, as a functional biomaterial in the cosmetics and food industries is investigated. The active ingredients (total phenols and flavonoids, β-carotene, vitamin C, free sugar, minerals, glucosinolates, and isothiocyanates) and antioxidant activities of 70% ethanol extracts of Brussels sprouts and cabbage were analyzed. The total phenol, flavonoid, vitamin C, and β-carotene contents of Brussels sprouts were approximately 36%, 2.5 times, 2.3 times, and 65% higher than those of cabbage, respectively. The total free sugar content of Brussels sprouts was 58%-72% lower than that of cabbage. The K content was the highest among the other minerals, and there was little difference between the two samples. The Na content was approximately three times higher in cabbage than in Brussels sprouts. The total glucosinolate content of Brussels sprouts was 34.5 mol SE/g DW, twice that of cabbage. The sinigrin content of Brussels sprouts was thrice (10.06 μmol/g DW) that of cabbage. The isothiocyanate (sulforaphane, I3C) content in Brussels sprouts was double that of cabbage. The antioxidant activity of Brussels sprout extract was 2.5 to 2.8 times higher in 1,1-Diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radical scavenging capacity and 3.3 to 3.6 times higher in 2,2'-Azino-bis(3-ethybenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) radical scavenging capacity than those of cabbage extract. These are important basic data for the study of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, which have anticancer activity, as well as antioxidant-related substances of Brussels sprout, which has high potential for use as a biomaterial in functional foods and cosmetics.