‘Kombucha’-like Beverage of Broccoli By-Products: A New Dietary Source of Bioactive Sulforaphane

Abstract

The objective of this work is the development of a new fermented beverage (‘kombucha’-like), enriched with broccoli by-products as an ingredient, a source of organosulfur compounds, which could be biotransformed into more bioaccessible, bioavailable, and bioactive metabolites. The new beverages have shown variations in the physicochemical (pH, 3.6–6.3; acidity, 0.65–1.39 g/L; °Brix, 4.63–8.20). Moreover, the phytochemical characterization has demonstrated different degrees of metabolization of the glucosinolates, leached during the infusion of the plant material into isothiocyanates (sulforaphane in concentrations up to 31.39 µg/100 mL) and its metabolic derivatives (sulforaphane-N-acetylcysteine in concentrations up to 5.37 µg/100 mL). Therefore, these results demonstrate that the increase in the concentration of the bioactive compounds concentration would provide higher bioavailability and health benefits. This is especially relevant with regard to anti-inflammatory activity. Reporting additional proof of enhanced biological benefits will boost the development of new functional beverages.