The importance of dietary sulforaphane in helping maintain good health continues to
gain support within the health-care community and awareness among U.S. consumers.
In addition to the traditional avenue for obtaining sulforaphane, namely, the consumption
of appropriate cruciferous vegetables, other consumer products containing added glucoraphanin,
the natural precursor to sulforaphane, are now appearing in the United States. Crucifer
seeds are a likely source for obtaining glucoraphanin, owing to a higher concentration
of glucoraphanin and the relative ease of processing seeds as compared to vegetative
parts. Seeds of several commonly consumed crucifers were analyzed not only for glucoraphanin
but also for components that might have negative health implications, such as certain
indole-containing glucosinolates and erucic acid-containing lipids. Glucoraphanin,
4-hydroxyglucobrassicin, other glucosinolates, and lipid erucic acid were quantified
in seeds of 33 commercially available cultivars of broccoli, 4 cultivars each of kohlrabi,
radish, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale, and cabbage, and 2 cultivars of raab.