Brassica

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Brassica
Brassica rapa
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Rosids
Order: Brassicales
Family: Brassicaceae
Genus: Brassica
Species

See text.

Brassica (pron.: /ˈbræsɨkə/ brás-si-ca) is a genus of plants in the mustard family (Brassicaceae). The members of the genus are collectively known as cruciferous vegetables, cabbages, or mustards. Crops from this genus are sometimes called cole crops, which is derived from the Latin caulis, meaning stem or cabbage.[1]

Common types of brassica used for food include cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and some types of seeds. The genus is known for containing many important agricultural and horticultural crops. It also includes a number of weeds, both wild taxa and escapees from cultivation. It includes over 30 wild species and hybrids, and numerous additional cultivars and hybrids of cultivated origin. Most are annuals or biennials, but some are small shrubs. Due to their agricultural importance, Brassica plants have been the subject of much scientific interest. Six particularly important species (Brassica carinata, B. juncea, B. oleracea, B. napus, B. nigra and B. rapa) are derived by combining the chromosomes from three earlier species, as described by the Triangle of U theory.

The genus is native in the wild in western Europe, the Mediterranean and temperate regions of Asia. In addition to the cultivated species, which are grown worldwide, many of the wild species grow as weeds, especially in North America, South America, and Australia.

A dislike for cabbage, broccoli et.al. can be due to the Brassica species containing a chemical similar to phenylthiocarbamide (PTC), a chemical which is either bitter or tasteless depending on one's genetic makeup.[citation needed]

Contents

Uses [edit]

Food [edit]

Almost all parts of some species or other have been developed for food, including the root (rutabaga, turnips), stems (kohlrabi), leaves (cabbage, collard greens), flowers (cauliflower, broccoli), buds (Brussels sprouts, cabbage), and seeds (many, including mustard seed, and oil-producing rapeseed). Some forms with white or purple foliage or flowerheads are also sometimes grown for ornament.

Brassica species are sometimes used as food plants by the larvae of a number of Lepidoptera species—see List of Lepidoptera that feed on Brassica.

Medicine [edit]

Brassica vegetables are highly regarded for their nutritional value. They provide high amounts of vitamin C and soluble fiber and contain multiple nutrients with potent anticancer properties: 3,3'-diindolylmethane, sulforaphane and selenium.[citation needed] Boiling reduces the level of anticancer compounds, but steaming, microwaving, and stir frying do not result in significant loss.[2] Steaming the vegetable for three to four minutes is recommended to maximize sulforaphane.[3]

Brassica vegetables are rich in indole-3-carbinol, a chemical which boosts DNA repair in cells and appears to block the growth of cancer cells.[4][5] They are also a good source of carotenoids, with broccoli having especially high levels.[6] Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley have recently discovered that 3,3'-diindolylmethane in Brassica vegetables is a potent modulator of the innate immune response system with potent antiviral, antibacterial and anticancer activity;[7] however, it also is an antiandrogen.[8] These vegetables also contain goitrogens, which suppress thyroid function. This can induce hypothyroidism and goiter.[9]

Species [edit]

There is some disagreement among botanists on the classification and status of Brassica species and subspecies.[citation needed] The following is an abbreviated list, with an emphasis on economically important species.

Other species formerly placed in Brassica [edit]

Genome sequencing and genetics [edit]

Bayer Cropscience (in collaboration with BGI-Shenzhen, China, Keygene N.V., the Netherlands and the University of Queensland, Australia) announced it had sequenced the entire genome of rapeseed/canola (Brassica napus) and its constituent genomes present in B. rapa and B. oleracea in 2009.[10] The B. rapa genome was sequenced by the Multinational Brassica Genome Project in 2011.[11] This also represents the A genome component of the amphidiploid crop species B. napus and B. juncea.[12] Comparative genomics

See also [edit]

References [edit]

  1. ^ http://www.wordnik.com/words/caulis
  2. ^ Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick (2007-05-15). "Research Says Boiling Broccoli Ruins Its Anti Cancer Properties.". 
  3. ^ "Maximizing The Anti-Cancer Power Of Broccoli". Science Daily. 2005-04-05. 
  4. ^ "Broccoli chemical's cancer check". BBC News. 7 February 2006. Retrieved 5 September 2010. 
  5. ^ "How Dietary Supplement May Block Cancer Cells". Science Daily. 30 June 2010. Retrieved 5 September 2010. 
  6. ^ "Breeding Better Broccoli: Research Points To Pumped Up Lutein Levels In Broccoli". Science Daily. 8 November 2009. Retrieved 5 September 2010. 
  7. ^ "3,3'-Diindolylmethane induces a G(1) arrest in human prostate cancer cells irrespective of androgen receptor and p53 status". 
  8. ^ Plant-derived 3,3'-Diindolylmethane is a strong androgen antagonist in human prostate cancer cells.
  9. ^ Goitrogens
  10. ^ Bayer Sequence Genome of Canola The Bioenergy Site, Retrieved 8 November 2010
  11. ^ Wang, X.; Wang, H.; Wang, J.; Sun, R.; Wu, J.; Liu, S.; Bai, Y.; Mun, J. H. et al. (2011). "The genome of the mesopolyploid crop species Brassica rapa". Nature Genetics 43 (10): 1035–1039. doi:10.1038/ng.919. PMID 21873998.   edit
  12. ^ "The www.brassica.info website for the Multinational Brassica Genome Project". 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Brassica
Brassica
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brassica&oldid=553862794"