Cabbage (Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata) is an excellent source of glucosinolates (GLS) that could reduce the risk of chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the biological traits, pigment contents, color, and GLS content of 13 cabbage varieties. This study found that there were significant differences in the GLS content for various developmental stages of cabbage varieties, and the accumulation of GLS in young leaves was higher than that in mature stages. In most of the samples, the GLS content accumulated in different parts and changed as inner leaf > middle leaf > condensed stem > root. Double haploids of the M18-15 variety may be good candidates for future breeding programs and consumers, due to their high GLS content (ranging from 201.10 to 396.25 nmol mg⁻¹ FW). GLS also act as a defense substance, and the data related to GLS accumulation patterns in different leaf locations and root parts may be useful for understanding leaf defense mechanisms and potential source–sink relationships. In addition, the observed interspecific variability is beneficial for breeders to develop Brassica varieties with high GLS content, as well as for the development of new functional food additives.

Orange Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis) is an excellent source of health-promoting nutrients that could reduce the risk of chronic diseases. This study mainly investigated the accumulation patterns of eight lines of orange Chinese cabbage for indolic glucosinolates (GLSs) and pigment content from representative plant organs across multiple developmental stages. The indolic GLSs were highly accumulated at the rosette stage (S2), especially in inner and middle leaves, and the order of indolic GLSs accumulation in non-edible organs was flower > seed > stem > silique. The expression levels of biosynthetic genes in light signaling, MEP, carotenoids, and GLS pathways were consistent with the metabolic accumulation patterns. The results of a principal component analysis show a clear separation of high indolic GLS lines (15S1094 and 18BC6) from low indolic GLS lines (20S530). A negative correlation between the accumulation of indolic GLS and carotenoids was identified in our study. Our work contributes to providing valuable knowledge required to breed, grow, and select orange Chinese cabbage varieties and their eatable organs with higher nutritional value.

Indolic glucosinolates are a group of plant secondary metabolites found in Brassica vegetables, and their breakdown products could act as important anti-cancer and defense compounds against biotic stresses. Transcriptional regulation plays a key role in modulating the biosynthesis of indolic glucosinolates in the model plant Arabidopsis, but little is known about the transcriptional regulatory landscape of these glucosinolates in Brassica vegetables. In this study, we selected and functionally validated the important biosynthetic gene BolCYP83B1 from the indolic glucosinolate pathway in cabbage. Through a yeast one-hybrid assay, we systemically screened and identified upstream regulators of BolCYP83B1 in cabbage with BolANTs as the top candidates for further functional validation. Two homologs of BolANTs, BolANT1 and BolANT3, were confirmed to bind the promoter of BolCYP83B1 via both a yeast one-hybrid assay and an LUC assay. The overexpression of BolANT3 in cabbage significantly increased the accumulation of indolic glucosinolates, while the virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) of BolANT3 significantly reduced the accumulation of indolic glucosinolates in cabbage. Our work provides valuable insights into the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms of indolic glucosinolates in Brassica vegetables.