CRISPR and breeding advances set to boost brassicas’ nutritional potential

In the “most comprehensive” review to date, researchers have analyzed the nutritional profiles of brassica vegetables — including broccoli, kale, cabbage, and mustard greens — to offer strategies to boost their nutritional value through breeding, biofortification, and advanced biotechnologies. 

These crops are rich in health-promoting compounds but remain underutilized in global diets.

“Brassica vegetables represent one of the most promising but underutilized dietary resources for improving public health,” say the authors of the study. “Their rich combination of vitamins, minerals, and bioactive compounds provides natural protection against chronic diseases ranging from cancer to cardiovascular disorders.”

“What makes these crops unique is the opportunity to further enhance their value through breeding, biofortification, and metabolic engineering. Harnessing this potential can transform everyday vegetables like broccoli and kale into key players in global strategies for nutritional security.”

Functional health food properties

By positioning brassicas as “functional foods,” the authors call for renewed attention to these crops as essential tools in improving dietary health worldwide.

For instance, while citrus fruits are well-known for vitamin C and leafy greens for folate, brassica vegetables contain a broad variety of phytonutrients, such as glucosinolates, vitamins, carotenoids, phenolics, and essential minerals.

The review outlines the diverse phytonutrients in brassicas and their impacts on health. Glucosinolates — abundant in broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cabbage — yield biologically active compounds such as sulforaphane and indole-3-carbinol that show strong anti-cancer properties.

Meanwhile, brassica vitamins — including vitamin C, folate, vitamin E, and vitamin K — contribute to antioxidant defense, iron absorption, and bone health. Carotenoids like lutein and β-carotene support eye function and immune resilience, while anthocyanins in purple varieties provide neuroprotective and cardioprotective benefits.

Brassica minerals like calcium, potassium, and selenium enhance bone strength and reduce the risks of hypertension and certain cancers.

Cooking methods matter

The study also examines how cooking methods and food processing influence nutrient retention. In particular, steaming or pairing brassicas with oils can maximize bioavailability.

The researchers further outline strategies to enrich nutritional profiles. LED-based cultivation can increase carotenoids and anthocyanins in sprouts; selective breeding has produced “super broccoli” rich in glucoraphanin; and CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing offers tools to amplify beneficial metabolites while reducing anti-nutritional compounds.

Ultimately, the authors believe their findings magnify the potential of brassica vegetables to serve as accessible, low-cost dietary interventions in combating global nutrition deficiencies and disease burdens.

Biofortified varieties and innovative agronomic practices could bring health-boosting crops to both developed and developing regions, they note. Additionally, these vegetables’ genetic diversity makes them ideal candidates for future precision breeding and biotechnology programs.

The review is published by the College of Horticulture, Hebei Agricultural University, China, and collaborating institutions in Horticulture Research.

In other recent research, hot air drying — a cheap and relatively easy preservation technique — was found to affect the availability of key nutrients and plant compounds in microgreens that benefit health. While fresh, these highly nutritious young seedlings of cruciferous vegetables like radish, broccoli, and kale are highly perishable and can lose nutritional value quickly.