Amplification of allyl isothiocyanate in red cabbage using high hydrostatic pressure treatment

Abstract

Red cabbage contains sinigrin which is hydrolyzed to form allyl isothiocyanate (AITC) by myrosinase. AITC has antimicrobial, anticancer, and cytoprotective activities. Here, high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment (100 to 400 MPa) and subsequent incubation (20 to 80 degrees C) were employed to amplify AITC content in red cabbage. The highest quantity of AITC was 39.6 mu mol/kg fresh weight from a HHP treatment of 400 MPa followed by standing at 40 degrees C and 6.4 times higher than that from HHP-untreated control. Cell membrane disruption by HHP treatment was assumed to be the most plausible reason for the high AITC yield and was confirmed by biological impedance measurement.