Emerging technology for increasing glucosinolates in arugula and mustard greens

ABSTRACT

Two plant species, arugula (Eruca sativa) and mustard (Brassica juncea) were field-grown under four soil management practices: soil mixed with municipal sewage sludge (SS), soil mixed with horse manure (HM), soil mixed with chicken manure (CM), and no-mulch bare soil (NM) to investigate the impact of soil amendments on the concentration of glucosinolates (GSLs) in their shoots. GSLs, hydrophilic plant secondary metabolites in arugula and mustard were extracted using boiling methanol and separated by adsorption on sephadex ion exchange disposable pipette tips filled with DEAE, a weak base, with a net positive charge that exchange anions such as GSLs. Quantification of GSLs was based on inactivation of arugula and mustard myrosinase and liberation of the glucose moiety from the GSLs molecule by addition of standardized myrosinase (thioglucosidase) and spectrophotometric quantification of the liberated glucose moiety. Overall, GSLs concentrations were significantly greater (1287 µg g⁻¹ fresh shoots) in plants grown in SS compared to 929, 890, and 981 µg g⁻¹ fresh shoots in plants grown in CM, HM, and NM soil, respectively. Results also revealed that mustard shoots contained greater concentrations of GSLs (974 µg g⁻¹ fresh shoots) compared to arugula (651 µg g⁻¹ fresh shoots).

KEYWORDS:

• Sephadex
• thioglucosidase
• myrosinase
• sewage sludge
• isothiocyanates

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Steven Diver and his farm crew for their help in growing arugula and mustard plants.

Funding

This investigation was supported by a USDA/NIFA Award No. KYX-10-13-48P to Kentucky State University.