Summary
- Family : Cruciferae (Brasicaceae)
- Botanical Name : Brassica oleraceae var. italica
- English/Common Name : Broccoli
- Choromosome Number : 2n =18
- Place of origin : Mediterranean Region
Introduction
- Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is believed to be the first of the cole crops to evolve from the wild species of kale or cabbage and was cultivated by Romans.
- It was introduced to England in the early 16th century as “Italian asparagus” or “sprouting cauliflower”.
- Broccoli means little sprouts in Italian language (Mills, 2000).
- Broccoli contains a high level of sulforaphane glucosinates, which posses cancer inhibiting quality.
- The American Cancer Society suggested the inclusion of broccoli in the human diet to reduce the risk of developing cancer (Lindsay et al., 1988).
- The edible part of the broccoli plant is a tender stem and unopened flower buds.
- It is one of the best and economically lucrative vegetable and more nutritious than any other vegetables of the same genus.
- It is a good source of carotene (575 µg), vitamin C (87 mg) (value based on 100 g raw flesh), riboflavin (vitamin B2) and also rich in dietary fiber.
