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Updated: Nov 10, 2025
A Straightforward Method for Glucosinolate Extraction and Analysis with High-pressure Liquid Chromatography HPLC
Published on: March 15, 2017
Kinetics of glucosinolate hydrolysis by myrosinase in Brassicaceae tissues: A high-performance liquid chromatography
Alessio Pardini1, Gabriella Tamasi1, Federica De Rocco2
1Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy (DBCF), University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100 Siena, Italy; Center for Colloid and Surface Science (CSGI), University of Florence, via della Lastruccia 3, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino (FI), Italy.
Abstract:
Glucosinolates are a group of secondary metabolites occurring in all the vegetables belonging to the Brassicaceae family. Upon tissue damage, glucosinolates are hydrolyzed by myrosinase to a series of degradation products, including isothiocyanates, which are important for their health-promoting effects in humans. The glucosinolate-myrosinase system has been characterized in several Brassica species, of which white mustard (Sinapis alba) has been studied the most. In this study, a new HPLC-UV assay to evaluate the activities and kinetics of myrosinases in aqueous extracts, which closely represent the physiological conditions of plant tissues, was developed. This method was tested on myrosinases extracted from broccoli and cauliflower inflorescences, employing sinigrin and glucoraphanin as substrates. The results showed a strong inhibition of both enzymes at high substrate concentrations. The main issues related to kinetic analysis on the glucosinolate-myrosinase system were also elucidated.
