A Review to Nutritional and Health Aspect of Sprouted Food

Sprouts are considered as wonder food and contain antioxidants, vitamins, sulphoraphane, isothiocyanates, enzymes andglucosinolatesthat are proved to be effective in the prevention of cancer, or in the therapy against cancer. Because of the nutritional and health benefits of sprouts have become better known, bakers, chefs, athletes, food manufacturers and others are all looking at different ways to incorporate sprouts into popular foods. During germination the original composition of the seeds essentially changed. The aim of this review is to summarize the chemical composition and potential health benefit of sprout grain in human nutrition.The quantity of the protein fractions changes, the proportion of the nitrogen containing fractions shifts towards the smaller protein fractions, free amino acids and oligopeptides. In addition, the quantity of the amino acids composition changed; some of them increase, others decrease or do not alter during germination, and non-protein amino acids also are produced. Moreover, sprouts are outstanding sources of protein, vitamins and minerals and they contain such in the respect of health-maintaining important nutrients like glucosinolates, phenolic and selenium-containing components in the Brassica plants or isonflavons in the soya bean. Evidence from human studies that enzyme systems in our cells required for detoxification of cancer-causing substances can be activated by compounds made from glucosinolates found in brussel sprouts. In consequence of these changes, the quantity of the anti-nutritive materials decreases and the utilization of the macro and micro elements are increased owing to germination. Thus, the ratio of the saturated fatty acids increases compared to unsaturated fatty acids, and the ratio within the unsaturated fatty acids shifts to the essential linoleic acid.