Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) and its bioactive compounds are associated with beneficial health effects, which might be enabled, at least in part, through miRNA regulation, despite recent controversial studies suggesting that exogenous dietary miRNAs may reach host circulation and target cells to regulate gene expression. Here, a computational analysis was performed to explore the processes and pathways associated with genes targeted either by (1) host-expressed miRNAs (endogenous) modulated by the bioactive compounds in broccoli or (2) miRNAs derived from broccoli (exogenous). In addition, the stability of exogenous miRNAs from broccoli was assessed after broccoli was subjected to the usual processing methods and in vitro digestion-simulating gastrointestinal (GI) conditions. Overall, bioinformatic results show that the anticarcinogenic and cancer-preventive properties attributed to cruciferous vegetables might be mediated, at least in part, through miRNA-related mechanisms. Moreover, results show that broccoli-derived miRNAs can survive common food-processing conditions and GI digestion.
Keywords: bioactive compounds; bioinformatic; broccoli; food processing; in vitro digestion; miRNAs.