Mung bean seed was soaked and germinated in CaCl₂ electrolyzed water (CEW) in order to investigate the effect and mechanism of CEW on preserving the quality of mung bean sprouts. The results showed that after 5 days of storage, the mass loss percentage of mung bean sprouts treated with electrolyzed CaCl₂ solution at a concentration of 25 mmol/L decreased, and the hardness and brittleness increased by approximately 1.28 times higher than compared with the control group treated with tap water. The bactericidal effect of CEW was obvious, reducing the microbial load on the surface of mung bean sprouts by nearly one lg (CFU/g). Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy showed that the state of water in mung bean sprouts changed, and the bound water content increased. The relative conductivity, malondialdehyde (MDA) content and hydrogen peroxide content decreased by 16.5%, 27.5%, and 36.8%, respectively, the integrity of the cell membrane was maintained, and the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was reduced, thus reducing the degree of membrane lipid peroxidation. In addition, the browning of mung bean sprouts during storage was inhibited by CEW treatment, and the mechanism could be related to the decrease in the content of total phenols as browning substrates and the decrease in the activities of polyphenol oxidase (PPO), peroxidase (POD) and phenylalanine ammonialyase (PAL). Therefore, CEW treatment can delay the quality deterioration of mung bean sprouts during storage to a certain extent.

Sulforaphane (SFN) has a variety of biological activities such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-obesity properties. Being rich in SFN, broccoli sprouts are promising for application in the development of health foods and medicine. This article first reviews the synthesis and degradation process of SFN in broccoli sprouts, with a focus on the effects of different treatments on the contents of SFN and its synthesis-related factors during the growth of broccoli sprouts. It then summarizes the underlying mechanisms. Finally, the existing problems are outlined and future research directions are discussed, hoping to provide a reference for future research to improve the functionality of plant-derived foods.

Glucosinolates are important phytochemicals in Brassicaceae. We investigated the effect of CaCl₂-HCl electrolyzed water (CHEW) on glucosinolates biosynthesis in broccoli sprouts. The results showed that CHEW treatment significantly decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) and malondialdeh yde (MDA) contents in broccoli sprouts. On the the 8^th day, compared to tap water treatment, the the total glucosinolate content of broccoli sprouts with CHEW treatment increased by 10.6% and calcium content was dramatically enhanced from 14.4 mg/g DW to 22.7 mg/g DW. Comparative transcriptome and metabolome analyses revealed that CHEW treatment activated ROS and calcium signaling transduction pathways in broccoli sprouts and they interacted through MAPK cascades. Besides, CHEW treatment not only promoted the biosynthesis of amino acids, but also enhanced the expression of structural genes in glucosinolate synthesis through transcription factors (MYBs, bHLHs, WRKYs, etc.). The results of this study provided new insights into the regulatory network of glucosinolates biosynthesis in broccoli sprouts under CHEW treatment.

Innate immunity, particularly macrophages, is critical for intestinal homeostasis. Sulforaphane, a dietary isothiocyanate from cruciferous vegetables, has been reported to protect against intestinal inflammation. However, the role of macrophages in sulforaphane mediated intestinal inflammation and the underlying molecular mechanisms have not been studied yet. In this study, sulforaphane effectively attenuated dextran sodium sulphate (DSS) induced intestinal inflammation in murine model. Of note, sulforaphane skewed the switching from classically (M1) to alternatively (M2) activated phenotype both in intestinal and bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). The expression levels of M1 associated maker genes induced by DSS or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus interferon gamma-γ (IFN-γ) were suppressed by sulforaphane while M2 marker gene expression levels were improved. This resulted in alteration of inflammatory mediators, particularly interleukin-10 (IL-10), both in colon tissues and culture medium of BMDMs. Subsequently, IL-10 was found to mediate the sulforaphane induced M2 phenotype switching of BMDMs through the activation of STAT3 signaling. This was confirmed by immunofluorescence analysis with increased number of p-STAT3-positive cells in the colon sections. Moreover, anti-IL-10 neutralizing antibody significantly interfered M2 phenotyping of BMDMs induced by sulforaphane with reduced STAT3 phosphorylation. Findings here introduced a potential utilization of sulforaphane for intestinal inflammation treatment with macrophages as the therapeutic targets.