http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23435947 A new phenanthrene derivative and two diarylheptanoids from the roots of Brassica rapa ssp. campestris inhibit the growth of cancer cell lines and LDL-oxidation.
Arch Pharm Res. 2013 Feb 24. [Epub ahead of print]
Wu Q, Cho JG, Yoo KH, Jeong TS, Park JH, Kim SY, Kang JH, Chung IS, Choi MS, Lee KT, Chung HG, Bang MH, Baek NI. Source
Oriental Medicinal Materials & Processing, Graduate School of Biotechnology, KyungHee University, Yongin, 446-701, Republic of Korea. Abstract
Brassica rapa ssp. campestris (Brassicaceae) is a conical, deep purple, edible root vegetable commonly known as a turnip.
We initiated phytochemical and pharmacological studies to search for biological active compounds from the roots of B. rapa ssp. campestris.
We isolated a novel phenanthrene derivative, 6-methoxy-1-[10-methoxy-7-(3-methylbut-2-enyl)phenanthren-3-yl]undecane-2,4-dione, named brassicaphenanthrene A (3)
along with two known diarylheptanoid compounds, 6-paradol (1)
and trans-6-shogaol (2),
through the repeated silica gel (SiO(2)), octadecyl silica gel, and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography.
The chemical structures of the compounds were determined by spectroscopic data analyses including nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, ultraviolet spectroscopy, and infra-red spectroscopy.
All compounds exhibited high inhibitory activity against the growth of human cancer lines,
HCT-116, MCF-7, and HeLa,
with IC(50) values ranging from 15.0 to 35.0 μM and against LDL-oxidation with IC(50) values ranging from 2.9 to 7.1 μM. ------------------------- No wonder so many people plant them as winter crops to hold the soil. They most likely kill bacteria in the soil as well!
Posted by Carol in PA (Member # 5338) on :
My mother made turnips for supper on a regular basis when I was a child, and I hated them.
Later, as an adult, I found that I actually liked them when I made them together with carrots.
One cup peeled and diced turnips One cup peeled and chopped carrots
Cook in boiling salted water for 15 minutes. Season with sea salt and butter.