Elevated CO2 improves glucosinolate metabolism and stimulates anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties of broccoli sprouts.

Sprouting process enhances plant bioactive compounds. Broccoli (Brassica oleracea L) sprouts are well known for their high levels of glucosinolates (GLs), amino acids, and antioxidants, which offer outstanding biological activities with positive impacts on plant metabolism. Elevated CO2 (eCO2, 620 ppm) was applied for 9 days to further improve nutritive and health-promoting values of three cultivars of broccoli sprouts i.e., Southern star, Prominence and Monotop. eCO2 improved sprouts growth and induced GLs accumulation e.g., glucoraphanin, possibly through amino acids production e.g., high methionine and tryptophan. There were increases in myrosinase activity, which stimulated GLs hydrolysis to yield health-promoting sulforaphane. Interestingly, low levels of ineffective sulforaphane nitrile were detected and positively correlated with reduced epithiospecifier protein after eCO2 treatment. High glucoraphanin and sulforaphane levels in eCO2 treated sprouts improved the anticarcinogenic and anti-inflammatory properties of their extracts. In conclusion, eCO2 treatment enriches broccoli sprouts with health-promoting metabolites and bioactivities.