Current analytical methods for determination of glucosinolates in vegetables and human tissues

Numerous epidemiological studies have indicated the potential effects of glucosinolates and their metabolites against cancer as well as other non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and neurodegenerative disorders. However, information on the presence and quantity of glucosinolates in commonly consumed vegetables and in human fluids is sparse, largely because well-standardised methods for glucosinolate determination are not available, resulting in published data being inconsistent and conflicting. Thus, studies published since 2002 on the most recent developments of glucosinolate extraction and identification have been collected and reviewed with emphasis on determination of the intact glucosinolates by LC-MS and LC-MS/MS. This overview highlights the glucosinolate extraction methods used, the stability of glucosinolates during extraction, the availability of stable isotope labelled internal standards and the use of NMR for purity analysis, as well as the current analytical techniques that have been applied for glucosinolate analysis, e.g. liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS). It aims to interpret the findings with a focus on the development of a validated method, which will help to determine the glucosinolate content of vegetative plants and human tissues, and the identification and determination of selected glucosinolate metabolites.