Abstract

The present study was conducted on sprouts (5 and 7 days) of turnip (Brassica rapa), cauliflower (Brassica oleracea) and mustard (Brassica juncea) for bioactivity. Their antioxidant potential was assessed by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, superoxide anion radical scavenging assays at 0.125-2 mg/ml concentration. The extract of turnip, cauliflower and mustard (5 and 7 days) showed a potent antioxidant effect and significant cytotoxic effect at 100 µg/ml concentration of extract. The antiproliferative potential was also evaluated by applying cell cycle and intracellular reactive oxygen species generation assay at IC₅₀ value. Various phytochemicals and hydrolytic products of glucosinolates were observed in a different extract of turnip, cauliflower, and mustard sprouts. Flow cytometric analysis showed that all the extracts caused an increase in a G0 population of the PC-3 cells in cell cycle analysis and an increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species generation as compared to untreated cells. Confocal imaging of the cells stained with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole and 2,7-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate showed DNA fragmentation and increase of fluorescence which supports apoptosis and intracellular generation of the reactive oxygen species as the possible cause of cell death. The reported activity was correlated with the presence of different organosulfur compounds identified by gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy.