Definition

A vegetable belonging to the Brassicaceae family of plants with potential chemopreventive activity. Brassica vegetables, including broccoli, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, turnip and cauliflower, contain a significant amount of glucosinolates. Glucosinolate metabolites, such as sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol, act as antioxidants and may stimulate endogenous phase II detoxifying enzymes, including glutathione S-transferase and quinone reductase. These biotransformation enzymes play major roles in the detoxification of carcinogenic agents.