Processing-induced hydrolysis and degradation pathways of glucotropaeolin in edible garden nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus L.) extracts

In this work, we investigated the kinetics and mechanisms of GT degradation in edible extracts from seeds, leaves, and flower buds depending on the sample preparation methods. Hydrolysis, primarily driven by endogenous myrosinase, produced benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC), which further degraded into benzyl thiocarbamate and 1,3-dibenzyl-2-thiourea. Controlled thermal processing effectively preserved GT, whereas untreated or lyophilised extracts underwent rapid hydrolysis. Analysis of commercial edible extracts revealed negligible GT and BITC, highlighting the importance of processing strategies to maintain bioactive content.