Cancer Preventive Properties of Varieties of Brassica Oleracea

Cancer preventive properties of varieties of Brassica oleracea: a review

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 59, 1166S-1170S, Copyright © 1994 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

CW Beecher

Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago 60612.

 

Cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and other members of the genus Brassica have been widely regarded as potentially cancer preventative. This view is often based on both experimental testing of crude extracts and epidemiological data. The experimental evidence that provides support for this possibility is reviewed for the commonly consumed varieties of Brassica oleracea. In a majority of cases the biological activities seen intesting crude extracts may be directly related to specific chemicals thathave been reported to be isolated from one of these closely relatedspecies, thus the chemical evidence further supports the data from testingextracts and epidemiology.