IGZ research reveals ways to improve nutritional quality of red cabbage through targeted cultivation strategies
Light and temperature influence the formation of health-promoting compounds
When preparing and consuming cruciferous vegetables, health-promoting isothiocyanates are formed from sulfur-containing glucosinolates. Previous studies have shown that their levels in red cabbage vary depending on the harvest time. In the current study, red cabbage cultivation was simulated under controlled conditions. The aim was to better understand the influence of light and temperature, individually and in combination, on the formation of these compounds.
The results showed that high light intensities and warm temperatures promote the formation of beneficial isothiocyanates. In contrast, cool conditions with low light intensity favoured the formation of other breakdown products such as nitriles and epithionitriles. This shift is linked to certain “specifier proteins,” whose activity was strongly influenced by light. Molecular biology analyses confirmed that environmental factors such as light and temperature specifically regulate glucosinolate metabolism, and thus the health potential, of red cabbage.
“Our findings deepen the understanding of how abiotic growth factors influence health-relevant compounds in cruciferous vegetables,” explains Prof. Dr. habil. Franziska S. Hanschen, research group leader at IGZ and head of the Department of Phytonutrient Management at the Technische Universität Berlin. “They demonstrate that the nutritional value of cabbage can be improved through targeted cultivation strategies.”
The research was conducted as part of the Leibniz Junior Research Group OPTIGLUP (2018–2023), funded by the Leibniz Competition.
Publication
Púčiková, V.; Kluge, S. I.; Witzel, K.; Rohn, S.; Hanschen, F.S. (2025) Temperature and light regimes shape seasonal variation in glucosinolate hydrolysis in red cabbage. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.5c06284
Contact
Prof. Dr. habil. Franziska S. Hanschen, Research Group Leader. Email: hanschen@igzev.de. Phone +49(0)33701 – 78 250
Julia Vogt, Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit. Email: presse@igzev.de. Phone +49 (0) 33701 – 78 163
About the Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops
The Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops (IGZ) is a research institute of the Leibniz Association and contributes to solving current global challenges with scientifically sound findings from basic and applied research in horticulture. These include the preservation of biodiversity, combating climate change and the still widespread malnutrition. The institute is jointly funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and Culture of the State of Brandenburg (MWFK) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Regional Identity (BMLEH). The IGZ is based in Großbeeren.
