Cancer chemoprotective food products
Vegetable sources of cancer chemoprotective agents have been identified which are extraordinarily rich in glucosinolates, metabolic precursors of isothiocyanates. The vegetable sources are used to provide a dietary means of reducing the level of carcinogens in mammals.
1. A method of extracting glucosinolates and isothiocyanates from plant tissue comprising homogenizing said plant tissue in an excess of a mixture of dimethyl sulfoxide, acetonitrile and dimethylformamide at a temperature sufficient to inactivate myrosinase enzyme activity.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of dimethyl sulfoxide:acetonitrile:dimethylformamide is 1:1:1.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said temperature is between 0° C. and the freezing temperature of the extraction mixture.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said temperature is between −50° C. and the freezing temperature of the extraction mixture.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plant tissue is selected from the group consisting of cruciferous sprouts measured after 3 days of growth, cruciferous seeds, plants or plant parts.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said sprouts, seeds, plants or plant parts have at least 200,000 units per gram fresh weight of Phase 2 enzyme-inducing potential.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein said sprouts, seeds, plants or plant parts have at least 300,000 units per gram fresh weight of Phase 2 enzyme-inducing potential.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein said sprouts, seeds, plants or plant parts have at least 400,000 units per gram fresh weight of Phase 2 enzyme-inducing potential.
9. The method of claim 5 , wherein said sprouts, seeds, plants or plant parts have at least 500,000 units per gram fresh weight of Phase 2 enzyme-inducing potential.
10. A method of making a food product comprising extracting glucosinolates and isothiocyanates from cruciferous plant tissue having at least 200,000 units per gram fresh weight of Phase 2 enzyme-inducing potential, recovering said glucosinolates and isothiocyanates and adding said glucosinolates and isothiocyanates to food;
wherein said extracting comprises contacting said plant tissue with a non-toxic solvent at a temperature sufficient to inactivate myrosinase enzyme activity.
11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said solvent is water.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said water is at 100° C.
13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said solvent is liquid carbon dioxide.
14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein said solvent is ethanol.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein said plant tissue is selected from the group consisting of cruciferous sprouts measured after 3 days of growth, cruciferous seeds, plants and plant parts.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein said sprouts, seeds, plants or plant parts have at least 300,000 units per gram fresh weight of Phase 2 enzyme-inducing potential.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein said sprouts, seeds, plants or plant parts have at least 400,000 units per gram fresh weight of Phase 2 enzyme-inducing potential.
18. The method of claim 15 , wherein said sprouts, seeds, plants or plant parts have at least 500,000 units per gram fresh weight of Phase 2 enzyme-inducing potential.
19. The method of claim 10 wherein said food product is selected from the group consisting of a bread, a drink, a soup, a salad, a sandwich and a cereal.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein said drink is a tea.
21. The method of claim 10 wherein said extracting further comprises homogenizing said plant tissue with said non-toxic solvent.
22. The method of claim 15 wherein said sprouts, seeds, plants or plant parts have at least 250,000 units per gram fresh weight of Phase 2 enzyme-inducing potential.
23. The method of claim 15 , wherein said plants are broccoli.
24. The method of claim 15 , wherein said plant parts are from broccoli.
25. The method of claim 15 , wherein said cruciferous sprouts are broccoli sprouts.
26. The method of claim 15 , wherein said cruciferous seeds are broccoli seeds.