The degradation pathways of sulfur containing plant secondary metabolites (PSM) such as glucosinolates determine the health promoting effects of these compounds.
The RG QUALITY.2 (former junior research group QUALITY.1.JR) therefore focusses on the formation, reactivity, identification and functionality of especially sulfur containing PSM with the aim to channel the degradation pathways in a way that the beneficial products are formed preferentially or maintained in the vegetables.
The RG QUALITY.2 is a Leibniz Junior Research Group (OPTIGLUP ‒ Optimization of Glucosinolate Degradation Pathways for Increased Quality and Health Benefit of Brassica Products) and funded by the Leibniz-Gemeinschaft. Our main aim is to optimize the glucosinolate degradation in Brassica vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage. These plant metabolites are precursors of cancer preventing isothiocyanates. However, in these vegetables often other compounds, such as epithionitriles are formed from glucosinolates during vegetable processing. Thus, the goal of the research group is to optimize the glucosinolate degradation – during pre-harvest as well as during post-harvest- to induce isothiocyanate formation and to decrease the epithionitriles. Additionally, we investigate how other secondary plant metabolites affect the thermal degradation of glucosinolates, which occurs during cooking. Together with collaboration partners we study, if newly identified compounds have health promoting effects.
In the BMBF-funded project InnoWild together with partners we investigate the potential of locally adapted herbaceous plants and their bioactive PSM to increase the stability of agricultural and horticultural production systems in the field and establish new value chains.
