Nutritional Values of 4 Varieties of Cauliflowers

The biomass, contents of polyphenols and ascorbic acid as well as the antioxidant capacity in the flower head (inflorescence meristem) of 4 varieties of cauliflowers with different maturation characteristics were determined, including Xueying 2(early-mature), Xueying 1(late-mature), Xuehuang(early-mature), and Chaojixuehuang(late-mature). The results showed that The contents of total glucosinolates (GS) in the cauliflowers with different maturation characteristic did not vary significantly. But, 3C-GS (e.g., 3-methyl butyl glucosinolates) were found to be in greater proportion than 4C-GS (e.g., allyl glucosinolates) in the early-mature varieties, while the reverse to be the case in the late-mature cauliflowers. The biomass, polyphenols content and antioxidant activity of the late-mature varieties (i.e., Xueying1 and Chaojixuehuang) were higher than those of the early-mature counterparts (i.e., Xuehuang and Xueying 2), but not the ascorbic acid content.