Bioactive Substances and Antioxidant Activity in Different-colored Sprouts of Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.)

Contents of glucosinolate, ascorbic acid and polyphenols, as well as antioxidant activities of 4 cauliflowers (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.) that bore sprouts of different colors were studied. The results showed that the compositions and contents of glucosinolate differed in the sprouts. For the white, purple, and yellow sprouts, glucoiberin was most abundant; while for the green sprouts, glucoerucin. The greatest total glucosinolate was found in the purple and green sprouts, followed by the white and yellow. No significant differences on polyphenols were observed among the white, green, and purple sprouts, and yellow sprouts had the least amount of polyphenols. The yellow sprouts contained the highest content of ascorbic acid, followed by the purple and white, and the green sprouts the least. The antioxidant activities in the different-colored cauliflower sprouts were higher in the purple or green than the white or yellow, which was the same for glucosinolate content.