Romanesco broccoli, and edible fractal with many health benefits

Romanesco broccoli, an algorithmic beauty, cross between broccoli and cauliflower, sometimes called Broccoflower, is one of these plants that would let you think for a while if you're not in front of part of an out-of-this-world flora.

Broccoli, originally cultivated by the Etruscans and brought to Tuscany with them, place from where it was distributed later on, is one of the vegetables with anti-carcinogenic properties, from the genus Brassica known as one of the most effective at reducing the risk of cancer [1]. This property may be explained by the principle bioactive compounds, isothiocyanates (ITCs) [1], and diindolylmethane, a compound that is produced naturally during the digestion of indole-3-carbinol, a molecule found in Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables of its family, the Brassicaceae or Cruciferae. Image: Romanesco broccoli by Leon Brocard under Creative Commons license (CC by 2.0).

BRASSICA OLERACEA (BOTRYTIS GROUP)

Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Brassica
Common name: Romanesco broccoli, Broccoflower.

Romanesco broccoli is among some of the vegetables with highest content of isothiocyanates (ITCs), in spite others as Purple cabbage showed to have even higher ITC concentration per gram, followed by black cabbage and Romanesco cauliflower [1].

As the other types of Broccoli, Romanesco broccoli is rich in vitamin C (in 100 grams we have our daily recommended intake of vitamin C) and dietary fiber. It has recently been more and more in the scope of scientists as some of the active constituents found on it have demonstrated incredible health benefits, among some of them certain active constituents as diindolylmethane, have exerted certain anticancer properties in Breast cancer studies.

ANTICANCER ACTIVE CONSTITUENTS OF BROCCOLI

Scientist and doctors have investigated different means to achieve what protein p53 achieves on a natural form, cell cycle regulation and natural death of tumor cells, stopping the spread of the tumors and their malignant forms cancer. In their search for chemicals and molecules that may achieve this function scientist have also looked into natural products and traditional herbal remedies as source of active constituents that may exert this anticancer properties. Recently their interest focused in a cruciferous plant, Broccoli, and one of its active constituents, diindolylmethane, a compound that is produced naturally during the digestion of indole-3-carbinol, a molecule found in Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables of its family, the Brassicaceae or Cruciferae.

Broccoli, is rich in vitamin C (in 100 grams we have our daily recommended intake of vitamin C) and fiber. It has recently been more and more in the scope of scientists as some of the active constituents found on it have demonstrated incredible health benefits, among some of them certain active constituents asdiindolylmethane, have exerted certain anticancer properties inBreast cancer studies.

Kaempferol is another active constituent found in Broccoli, known for its health benefits and wonderful properties.

Kaempferol is a type of flavonoid, a flavonol, found on natural sources as apples, broccoli, Witch hazel, tea, kenaf, cabbage, kale, beans, endive, leek, tomato, strawberries and grapes, as well as in herbs and plants frequently used in herbal remedies and traditional medicine (e.g. Ginkgo biloba, Tilia spp, Equisetum spp, Moringa oleifera, Sophora japonica and propolis). It has been scientifically proven that the consumption of foods rich in kaempferol may reduce the risk of developing health problems such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Among the properties of Kaempferol we can mention its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-oxidant, anti-cancer, cardioprotective, neuroprotective, anti-diabetic, anti-osteoporotic, estrogenic/antiestrogenic, anxiolytic, analgesic and anti-allergic activities [5].

REFERENCES

[1] Induction of apoptosis in HT-29 cells by extracts from isothiocyanates-rich varieties of Brassica oleracea. Mas S, Crescenti A, Gassó P, Deulofeu R, Molina R, Ballesta A, Kensler TW, Lafuente A. Departamento de Farmacologia y Quimica Terapeutica, IDIBAPS, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Barcelona, Casanova 143, 08036 Barcelona, Spain.

[2] Plant names: Porcher Michel H. et al. 1995 - 2020, Sorting Anthemis Names. Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database   (M.M.P.N.D)  - A Work in Progress. School of Agriculture and Food Systems. Faculty of Land & Food Resources. The University of Melbourne. Australia. <http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Brassica_oleracea.html#botrytis >

[3] 3,3'-Diindolylmethane inhibits breast cancer cell growth via miR-21-mediated Cdc25A degradation. Jin Y. Laboratory of Cell Cycle and Cancer, College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, HaiDian District, Beijing 100048, China.

[4] The Indolic Diet-Derivative, 3,3'-Diindolylmethane, Induced Apoptosis in Human Colon Cancer Cells through Upregulation of NDRG1.
Lerner A, Grafi-Cohen M, Napso T, Azzam N, Fares F.
Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition Unit, Carmel Medical Center, Haifa 34362, Israel.

[5] Inhibition of fatty acid synthase and Sp1 expression by 3,3'-diindolylmethane in human breast cancer cells.
Saati GE, Archer MC.
Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

[6] 3,3'-Diindolylmethane induces a G(1) arrest in human prostate cancer cells irrespective of androgen receptor and p53 status.
Vivar OI, Lin CL, Firestone GL, Bjeldanes LF.
Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, 119 Morgan Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA.

[7] A Review on the Dietary Flavonoid Kaempferol.
Calderón-Montaño JM, Burgos-Morón E, Pérez-Guerrero C, López-Lázaro M.
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy. University of Seville, C/ Profesor García González, no 2, 41012, Sevilla, Spain

[8] Organ-specific exposure and response to sulforaphane, a key chemopreventive ingredient in broccoli: implications for cancer prevention.
Veeranki OL, Bhattacharya A, Marshall JR, Zhang Y.
Department of Cancer Prevention and Control, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, NY 14263, USA.