IMPROVEMENT OF NUTRACEUTICAL VALUE OF BROCCOLI SPROUTS BY NATURAL ELICITORS

Abstract

Contrary to genetic engineering elicitation is a cheaper and socially acceptable methods for improving plant food functionality. In this work broccoli sprouts were elicited with Saccharomyces cerevisiae (SC) and Salix daphnoides bark (SD) extracts. The most effective elicitors of phenolics overproduction were 1% SD and 0.5% SC. Treatment with 0.1% SC significantly increased content of ferulic acid, whereas p-coumaric and syryngic acids levels were significantly elevated by elicitation with SC (0.5% and 1%) and SD. All studied extracts appeared to be very effective elicitors of kaempferol biosynthesis (17-fold for 0.1% SC). In the case of mastication-extractable phytochemicals significant increase of SOD-like activity was observed after elicitation with 0.1% SC, 1% SC and 1% SD. All elicitors caused also an increase of OH• radicals scavenging ability. The most effective was 1% SC, where an increase was about 40%. Elicitation significantly improved potential bioaccessibility of compounds with anti-ROS activities, especially SOD-like active phytochemicals, thus may consist an effective biotechnology.