Isoflavonoids and Alfalfa SproutsJason Park, Lisa Carrigg, Tiffany Craig, Emily Makrez

“Put a sprout on it”

Bored of your Glucosinolates?

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•Anti-inflammatory (1)•Inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-I B)•Inhibition of NFKB activity

•In vitro: 50 ug/ml alfalfa ethyl acetate extract (ASEA)•In vivo (in rats): 25 mg/kg of ASEA in rats for 1 week; then induced acute inflammation via injection with lipopolysaccharides

•Mechanism is unclear, but compounds like coumesterol found in alfalfa sprouts have been suggested

Potential Health Benefits

Potential Health Risks•Chronic intake of alfalfa seeds associated with Lupus•Photosensitivity •Has been deemed as “possibly safe” for adults •Can also interfere with normal metabolism of Vitamin E•Interrupts absorption and metabolism (2)

•Risk of foodborne illness•Not recommended for immunocompromised (3)•Some sites suggest heating sprouts to kill potential pathogens

Are your terpenes not risky enough?

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Reducing Foodborne Illness•2009 FDA temporarily advised against eating raw sprouts due to Salmonella cases•Recommendations for growers of seeds:•Seeds grown under good agricultural practices to reduce potential for pathogenic bacteria•Seeds should be “conditioned, stored, and transported” to reduce likelihood for contamination

•Closed containers in clean, dry area•Seeds should be treated with 20,000 ppm Ca hypochlorite or other antimicrobial chemical

•Recommendations for sprout producers:•Treat seeds and test for pathogens

•Treatment includes antimicrobial pesticide chemicals or food additives•Grow in sanitary conditions•Test for pathogens

•Testing spent water from production lots. •Can be done as early as 48 hour (of the 3-10 day growing period)

•Implement practices for traceback

Reducing Foodborne Illness

Do you need some Isoflavones in your life?

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Isoflavonoid ContentCoumestrol Formononetin Biochanin A

Alfalfa Sprouts 1.60 1.43 0.04

Broccoli Sprouts 0 0 0

http://www.ars.usda.gov/services/docs.htm

Measurements in mg/100 g, edible portion

Daidzein Genistein Total Isoflavones

Alfalfa Sprouts .02 .02 .04

Broccoli Sprouts .04 0 .04

Availability in the Market Place•Stores in refrigerated section (until recently)•Ordered as a seed to be sprouted at home•In processed form at health food or supplement stores•Powder•Capsule or tablet

Not sure if that dish you made for father’s day is healthy enough?

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•Variety•(I know there are many varieties of seeds for alfalfa to grow, but nothing comes up in a search for best varieties to sprout – there’s really no mention of it at all).

•Growing conditions•Flavonol content increased 1.5-2x more when sprouts were germinated in the dark and grown at 20 degrees C compared to alfalfa seeds. •UV light decreased flavonol content while IR light increased flavonol content.•Based on the very short growing period (3-5 days) the effects are minimal compared to vegetables

•Storage and processing•4 degrees C and lower (refrigerator temperature) based on a study of broccoli sprouts (4)•Found one article about irradiating sprouts, but it didn’t talk specifically about isoflavones (5)

•Cooking method•Put a sprout on it

Bioavailability

Ways to Enjoy SproutsAdd to your favorite sandwich or wrap

Toss on top of your saladAdd into spring rolls or sushi

Have with hummus and crackersTop your stir fry when serving

Recipes

If you’re ever in doubt…

“Put a sprout on it”

References1. Hong YH, Chao WW, Chen ML, Lin BF. Ethyl acetate extracts of alfalfa

(Medicago sativa L.) sprouts inhibit lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in vitro and in vivo. J Biomed Sci. 2009; 16:64/

2. Alfalfa. MedlinePlus. Accessed June 8, 2012. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/19.html

3. Ferguson DD, Scheftel J, Cronquit A, et al. Temporally distinct Escherichia coli O157 outbreaks associated with alfalfa sprouts linked to a common seed source – Colorado and Minnesota, 2003. Epidemiol Infect. 2005;133(3):439–447.

4. Herr I, Büchler MW. Dietary constituents of broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables: implications for prevention and therapy of cancer. Cancer Treat Rev. 2010;36(5):377–83.