Queensland research into the cancer-blocking benefits of some vegetables will receive international exposure at a major horticultural congress in Korea in August.

Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries (DPI&F) principal physiologist Tim O’Hare, of the Gatton Research Station, has been invited to present a scientific paper to the 27th International Horticultural Congress in Seoul on his work with Asian and western vegetables, particularly radish sprouts.

The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation and Horticulture Australia Ltd support the research. 

 Dr O’Hare said that for two years a DPI&F project team had studied the cancer- blocking potential of Asian and western vegetables belonging to the brassica family.

He said brassicas contained plant chemicals that converted to isothiocyanates when chewed.

“Some isothiocyanates can induce detoxification enzymes that accelerate the removal of carcinogens from the human body.

“Isothiocyanates are linked to a reduced prevalence of certain types of cancer, such as colorectal cancer,” he said.

Dr O’Hare said the research team had ranked seed from 22 vegetables of the brassica family on their anti-cancer potential.

“Radish, daikon (Japanese white radish) and broccoli sprouts topped the anti-cancer list, while those with moderate potential included seed of garden cress, rocket, kale, and watercress," he said.

Dr O’Hare said the research showed sprouts had more cancer-blocking potential than mature vegetables because of differences in their content of beneficial plant chemicals.

“We have evidence that radish and daikon sprouts may be better than broccoli sprouts because of a plant chemical interaction that can reduce the broccoli’s potency by up to 80 per cent,” he said.

Part of the research had been to assess the effects of sprout age and growing temperatures on the concentration of the beneficial plant chemicals in daikon and radish, Dr O’Hare said.

He said the research findings benefited the community through potential health improvements, and provided marketing opportunities for vegetable and sprout producers.

He said while at the conference he would form information-sharing links with other researchers involved in similar work.

The 27th International Horticultural Conference will be held from August 13-19.