Method of preparing a food product from cruciferous sprouts

• US 5,968,567 A
• Filed: 04/11/1997
• Issued: 10/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
• Original Assignee: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
• Inventors: Talalay, Paul, Fahey, Jed W.
• Primary Examiner(s): WONG, LESLIE A
• Application Number:
  US08/840,234
• Time in Patent Office: 921 Days
• Field of Search: 426/615, 426/7, 426/44, 426/49, 426/52, 426/425, 426/429, 426/430, 426/431, 426/629, 426/655
• US Class Current: 426/49
• CPC Class Codes: A21D 2/36 Vegetable material
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 11/70 Germinated pulse products, e.g. from soy bean sprouts
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 19/03 consisting of whole pieces or fragments without mashing the original pieces
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 19/09 Mashed or comminuted products, e.g. pulp, purée, sauce, or products made therefrom, e.g. snacks A23L19/01, A23L19/10, A23L27/63 and A23L21/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 25/30 Mashed or comminuted products, e.g. pulp, pastes, meal, powders; Products made therefrom, e.g. blocks, flakes, snacks; Liquid or semi-liquid products A23L25/10 and A23L25/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/105 Plant extracts, their artificial duplicates or their derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2300/00 Mixtures or combinations of active ingredients, wherein at least one active ingredient is fully defined in groups A61K31/00 - A61K41/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 36/31 Brassicaceae or Cruciferae (Mustard family), e.g. broccoli, cabbage or kohlrabi
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/00 Antineoplastic agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 35/02 specific for leukemia
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 39/00 General protective or antinoxious agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 39/06 Free radical scavengers or antioxidants
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 5/14 of the thyroid hormones, e.g. T3, T4

Abstract

Vegetable sources of cancer chemoprotective agents have been identified which are extraordinarily rich in glucosinolates, metabolic precursors of isothiocyanates. The vegetable sources are used to provide a dietary source for reducing the level of carcinogens in mammals.

Claims

1. A method of preparing a human food product comprising cruciferous sprouts containing high Phase 2 enzyme-inducing potential and non-toxic levels of indole glucosinolates and their breakdown products and goitrogenic hydroxybutenyl glucosinolates, comprising the steps of:

(a) identifying seeds which produce said sprouts, with the exception of Brassica oleracea capitata, Lepidium sativum, Sinapis alba, Sinapis nigra, and Raphanus sativus sprouts;

(b) germinating said seeds; and

(c) harvesting said sprouts between the onset of germination up to and including the 2-leaf stage, to form a human food product comprising a plurality of said sprouts.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said sprouts are harvested 1 to 14 days post-germination and contain at least 200,000 units per gram fresh weight of Phase 2 enzyme-inducing potential when measured after 3-days of growth and non-toxic levels of indole glucosinolates and their breakdown products and goitrogenic hydroxybutenyl glucosinolates.

3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said seeds are a Brassica oleracea selected from the group of varieties consisting of acephala, alboglabra, botrytis, costata, gemnifera, gongylodes, italica, medullosa, palmifolia, ramosa, sabauda, sabellica, and selensia.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein said seeds are Brassica oleracea variety italica.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein said seeds are Brassica oleracea variety botrytis.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said seeds are Brassica oleracea variety botrytis subvariety cauliflora.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said sprouts are substantially free of Phase 1 enzyme-inducing potential.

8. A human food product comprising cruciferous sprouts made according to the method of claim 1.

19. The method according to claim 1, wherein said seeds produce cruciferous sprouts containing at least 200,000 units per gram fresh weight of Phase 2 enzyme-inducing potential measured after 3-days of growth.

20. The method according to claim 1, wherein said seeds produce cruciferous sprouts containing at least 300,000 units per gram fresh weight of Phase 2 enzyme-inducing potential measured after 3-days of growth.

21. The method according to claim 1, wherein said seeds produce cruciferous sprouts containing at least 400,000 units per gram fresh weight of Phase 2 enzyme-inducing potential measured after 3-days of growth.

22. The method according to claim 1, wherein said seeds produce cruciferous sprouts containing at least 500,000 units per gram fresh weight of Phase 2 enzyme-inducing potential measured after 3-days of growth.

9. A method of preparing a human food product, comprising extracting glucosinolates and isothiocyanates from cruciferous sprouts rich in glucosinolates, with the exception of Brassica oleracea capitata, Lepidium sativum, Sinapis alba, Sinapis nigra, and Raphanus sativus sprouts, harvested between the onset of germination up to and including the 2-leaf stage, or from cruciferous seeds, or a combination thereof, with a non-toxic solvent, removing the extracted sprouts, seeds, or a combination thereof from said solvent and, and recovering the extracted glucosinolates and isothiocyanates.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the sprouts are harvested 1 to 14 days post-germination and contain at least 200,000 units per gram fresh weight of Phase 2 enzyme-inducing potential when measured after 3-days of growth and non-toxic levels of indole glucosinolates and their breakdown products and goitrogenic hydroxybutenyl glucosinolates.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein said seeds are a Brassica oleracea selected from the group of varieties consisting of acephala, alboglabra, botrytis, costata, gemnifera, gongylodes, italica, medullosa, palmifolia, ramosa, sabauda, sabellica, and selensia.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said seeds are Brassica oleracea variety italica.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein said seeds are Brassica oleracea variety botrytis.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said seeds are Brassica oleracea variety botrytis subvariety cauliflora.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein said sprouts are substantially free of Phase 1 enzyme-inducing potential.

16. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of drying said extracted glucosinolates and isothiocyanates.

17. The method according to claim 9, wherein active myrosinase enzyme is mixed with said cruciferous sprouts, said cruciferous seeds, said extracted glucosinolates and isothiocyanates, or a combination thereof.

18. An extract prepared according to the method of any one of claims 9, 16 or 17.