The Leibniz Junior Research Group OPTIGLUP (Optimization of Glucosinolate Degradation Pathways for Increased Quality and Health Benefit of Brassica Products) is funded by the Leibniz-Gemeinschaft and aims 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 Leibniz Junior 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, it will be investigated how other secondary plant metabolites affect the thermal degradation of glucosinolates, which occurs during cooking. Together with collaboration partners we will investigate, if newly identified compounds have health preventive effects.
QUALITY.1.JR OPTIGLUP-Optimization of Glucosinolate Degradation Pathways
Head of Junior Research Group QUALITY.1.JR: Dr. rer. nat. habil. Franziska S. Hanschen
The degradation pathways of glucosinolates determine the health promoting effects of these secondary plant metabolites. In this context we aim to channel the glucosinolate degradation in a way that the beneficial products are formed preferentially.
Cooperation Partners
Domestic boiling and salad preparation habits affect glucosinolate degradation in red cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. rubra)
Hanschen, F.S., 2020. Domestic boiling and salad preparation habits affect glucosinolate degradation in red cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata f. rubra). Food Chemistry 126694,
Seasonal Variation of Glucosinolate Hydrolysis Products in Commercial White and Red Cabbages (Brassica oleracea var. capitata)
Seasonal Variation of Glucosinolate Hydrolysis Products in Commercial White and Red Cabbages (Brassica oleracea var. capitata). N. S. Wermter, S. Rohn, F. Hanschen Foods 2020, 9(11), 1682
→Biofumigation for fighting replant disease- A review
Hanschen, F.S.; Winkelmann, T. (2020). Biofumigation for fighting replant disease- A review. Agronomy, 10, 425,
DOI: 10.3390/agronomy10030425
→Boiling and steaming induced changes in secondary metabolites in three different cultivars of pak choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis)
Chen, X.; Hanschen, F.S.; Neugart, S.; Schreiner, M.; Vargas, S.A.; Gutschmann, B.; Baldermann, S. 2019. Boiling and steaming induced changes in secondary metabolites in three different cultivars of pak choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis). Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 82, 103232.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jfca.2019.06.004
→Identification of N-acetyl-S- (3-cyano-2-(methylsulfanyl) propyl-cysteine as a major human urine metabolite from the epithionitrile 1-cyano-2,3-epithiopropane, the main glucosinolate hydrolysis product from cabbage
Hanschen, F.S.; Baldermann, S.; Brobrowski, A.; Maikath, A.; WiesnerReinhold, M.; Rohn, S.; Schreiner, M. 2019. Identification of N-acetyl-S- (3-cyano-2-(methylsulfanyl) propyl-cysteine as a major human urine metabolite from the epithionitrile 1-cyano-2,3-epithiopropane, the main glucosinolate hydrolysis product from cabbage. Nutrients 11, 908.
DOI: 10.3390/nu11040908
→Identification and Characterization of Three Epithiospecifier Protein Isoforms in Brassica oleracea
Witzel, K.; Abu Risha, M.; Albers, P.; Börnke, F.; Hanschen, F. 2019. Identification and characterization of three epithiospecifier protein isoforms in Brassica oleracea. Frontiers in Plant Science 10, 1552.
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01552
→Relationship between conversion rate of glucosinolates to isothiocyanates/indoles and genotoxicity of individual parts of Brassica vegetables
Kołodziejski, D.; Pilipczuk, T.; Piekarska, A.; Kusznierewicz, B.; Tietz, F.; Hanschen, F.S.; Namiesnik, J.; Bartoszek, A. 2018. Relationship between conversion rate of glucosinolates to isothiocyanates/indoles and genotoxicity of individual parts of Brassica vegetables. European Food Research and Technology (2018).
DOI: 10.1007/s00217-018-3170-9
→The Physiology of Vegetable Crops
Neugart, F. S. Hanschen, M. Schreiner. Glucosinolates in Brassica. In H. C. Wien & H. Stützel (Eds.), The physiology of vegetable crops.: CABI. 2020, pp. 389-398.
→UV-B-induced changes in secondary plant metabolites.
Schreiner, M. Wiesner-Reinhold, S. Baldermann, F.S. Hanschen, S. Neugart: UV-B-induced changes in secondary plant metabolites. In B. Jordan (Ed.), UV-B Radiation and Plant Life). Oxfordshire, United Kingdom: CABI. 2017
→Nutritional Quality of Plants for Food and Fodder
Wiesner, F. S. Hanschen, R. Maul, S. Neugart, M. Schreiner, S. Baldermann: Nutritional Quality of Plants for Food and Fodder. In Brian Thomas, Brian G. Murray and Denis J. Murphy (Editors in Chief), Encyclopedia of Applied Plant Sciences, Vol 1, Waltham, MA: Academic Press, 2017, pp. 285–291.
Mechanisms of Selenium Enrichment and Measurement in Brassicaceous Vegetables, and Their Application to Human Health
Wiesner-Reinhold, M., Schreiner, M., Baldermann, S., Schwarz, D., Hanschen, F. S., Kipp, A. P., Rowan, D. D., Bentley-Hewitt, K. L., & McKenzie, M. J. Mechanisms of Selenium Enrichment and Measurement in Brassicaceous Vegetables, and Their Application to Human Health. In N. Bertin, M. Génard & M. Hertog (Eds.), Quality of horticultural crops: a recurrent/new challenge for plant scientists in a changing world, Lausanne: Frontiers Media, 2018, pp. 183-202
→Identifizierung von N-Acetyl-S-(3-cyano-2-(methylsulfanyl)propylcystein, ein Hauptmetabolit von 1-Cyano-2,3-epithiopropan, dem wichtigsten Glucosinolatabbauprodukt von Weißkohl
F. S. Hanschen, S. Baldermann, A. Bobrowski, M. Wiesner-Reinhold, S. Rohn, M. Schreiner: Identifizierung von N-Acetyl-S-(3-cyano-2-(methylsulfanyl)propylcystein, ein Hauptmetabolit von 1-Cyano-2,3-epithiopropan, dem wichtigsten Glucosinolatabbauprodukt von Weißkohl. 48. Deutscher Lebensmittelchemikertag, 16.-18. September 2019, Dresden (Germany),Tagungsband Kurzreferate (ISBN 978-3-947197-15-6), 84
Effect of water stress on glucosinolate content and their breakdown in pak choi (Brassica rapa L. ssp. chinensis)
V. Púčiková, F. S. Hanschen: Effect of water stress on glucosinolate content and their breakdown in pak choi (Brassica rapa L. ssp. chinensis). EuroFoodChem XX Conference, 17. – 19. June 2017, Porto (Portugal), Program & Book of Abstracts (ISBN 978-989-8124-26-5), 162
Stability of glucosinolate hydrolysis products and the identification of novel compounds in foods
F. S. Hanschen, J. Böttger, L. Andernach, J. Fechner, M. Kaufmann, S. Rohn, M. Schreiner: Stability of glucosinolate hydrolysis products and the identification of novel compounds in foods. EuroFoodChem XX Conference, 17. – 19. June 2017, Porto (Portugal), Program & Book of Abstracts (ISBN 978-989-8124-26-5), 86