Glucosinolates, l-ascorbic acid, total phenols, anthocyanins, antioxidant capacities and colour in cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. ssp. botrytis); effects of long-term freezer storage

Blanching and one year freezer storage were performed on one purple, two white and two green varieties of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L. ssp. botrytis) to assess the effects on several health-related phytochemicals. Blanching, prior to freezing, reduced total aliphatic and indole glucosinolates (GLS) by 31% and 37%, respectively. l-ascorbic acid (L-AA), total phenols (TP), anthocyanins, FRAP and ORAC were on average reduced by 19, 15, 38, 16 and 28%, respectively. The colour measured as CIELAB parameters was partly affected by blanching: lightness was significantly reduced in the white cultivars and in a romanesco type cultivar. Chromaticity was reduced in the coloured cultivars with a twice-as-large reduction in the purple cultivars. Hue increased for all samples, except for the purple cultivar where a decrease was found. Long-term freezer storage did not affect total aliphatic and indole GLS in cauliflower in a major way. Freezer storage did result in an average L-AA decrease of 24% for all but the purple cultivar. Some reductions in the TP levels were also found but not to the extent found for L-AA. When an effect was found in the FRAP and ORAC values, the reductions occurred towards the end of the storage period and were 15% and 37%, on average, respectively. Long-term freezer storage did not affect the anthocyanin content and only minor effects were found for the colour parameters.