Red cabbage
Red cabbage, also known as purple cabbage, is a vegetable belonging to the species Brassica oleracea var. capitata, family Brassicaceae.
It is characterised by compact red-purple leaves, whose colour is mainly due to anthocyanins, plant pigments belonging to the polyphenol family.
It consists mainly of water and has a very low energy density.
It provides fibre, carbohydrates and small amounts of protein, while its fat content is practically negligible.
It is a good source of vitamin C and vitamin K and also provides folate, potassium, manganese and other micronutrients in varying amounts.
In addition to anthocyanins, it contains glucosinolates, compounds characteristic of Brassicaceae vegetables that can be converted into substances such as isothiocyanates during chopping and chewing.
Its fibre content contributes to normal bowel function and may help promote satiety.
Anthocyanins are sensitive to pH: in acidic conditions the colour tends towards red, while in alkaline conditions it may become bluish or greenish.
Prolonged cooking may reduce some vitamin C and other heat-sensitive plant compounds.
Calories
Raw red cabbage provides approximately 30–35 kcal per 100 g, with an average value close to 31 kcal per 100 g.
Cooking without added fats has little effect on its overall calorie content.
Uses in Food
It can be eaten raw, marinated, fermented, stewed, sautéed or baked.
It is used in salads, side dishes, soups, sandwiches, meat dishes, sweet-and-sour preparations and fermented vegetables.
When eaten raw, it better retains its crunchiness, vitamin C and some of its anthocyanins.
Adding vinegar, lemon juice or other acidic ingredients helps maintain a more intense red colour during preparation.
It can also undergo lactic fermentation, as in some preparations similar to sauerkraut.
Uses in Cosmetics
Red cabbage extracts may be used in some cosmetic formulations because of their content of anthocyanins, polyphenols and other antioxidant compounds.
They may be found in masks, creams, serums and botanical skincare products.
Red cabbage pigments may also be studied as plant-derived colourants, although their stability depends strongly on pH and formulation.
Food-grade red cabbage should not be considered equivalent to a purified and standardised cosmetic extract.
Allergens
Red cabbage is not among the major food allergens requiring mandatory declaration in the European Union.
Rare individual reactions to Brassicaceae vegetables may nevertheless occur.
Assessment
A very low-calorie vegetable with a useful content of fibre, vitamin C, anthocyanins and glucosinolates.
Ingredient verdict: an excellent low-energy vegetable, particularly interesting for its anthocyanins and other characteristic plant compounds.
Cons: possible intestinal bloating in sensitive individuals
References__________________________________________________________________________
Mattioli R, Francioso A, Mosca L, Silva P. Anthocyanins: A Comprehensive Review of Their Chemical Properties and Health Effects on Cardiovascular and Neurodegenerative Diseases. Molecules. 2020 Aug 21;25(17):3809. doi: 10.3390/molecules25173809.
Abstract. Anthocyanins are a class of water-soluble flavonoids widely present in fruits and vegetables. Dietary sources of anthocyanins include red and purple berries, grapes, apples, plums, cabbage, or foods containing high levels of natural colorants. Cyanidin, delphinidin, malvidin, peonidin, petunidin, and pelargonidin are the six common anthocyanidins. Following consumption, anthocyanin, absorption occurs along the gastrointestinal tract, the distal lower bowel being the place where most of the absorption and metabolism occurs. In the intestine, anthocyanins first undergo extensive microbial catabolism followed by absorption and human phase II metabolism. This produces hybrid microbial-human metabolites which are absorbed and subsequently increase the bioavailability of anthocyanins. Health benefits of anthocyanins have been widely described, especially in the prevention of diseases associated with oxidative stress, such as cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Furthermore, recent evidence suggests that health-promoting effects attributed to anthocyanins may also be related to modulation of gut microbiota. In this paper we attempt to provide a comprehensive view of the state-of-the-art literature on anthocyanins, summarizing recent findings on their chemistry, biosynthesis, nutritional value and on their effects on human health.
Jean Wilson E, Sirpu Natesh N, Ghadermazi P, Pothuraju R, Prajapati DR, Pandey S, Kaifi JT, Dodam JR, Bryan JN, Lorson CL, Watrelot AA, Foster JM, Mansell TJ, Joshua Chan SH, Batra SK, Subbiah J, Rachagani S. Red Cabbage Juice-Mediated Gut Microbiota Modulation Improves Intestinal Epithelial Homeostasis and Ameliorates Colitis. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Dec 30;25(1):539. doi: 10.3390/ijms25010539.
Abstract. Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and can potentially prevent IBD through microbial-derived metabolites, making it a promising therapeutic avenue. Recent evidence suggests that despite an unclear underlying mechanism, red cabbage juice (RCJ) alleviates Dextran Sodium Sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. Thus, the study aims to unravel the molecular mechanism by which RCJ modulates the gut microbiota to alleviate DSS-induced colitis in mice. Using C57BL/6J mice, we evaluated RCJ's protective role in DSS-induced colitis through two cycles of 3% DSS. Mice were daily gavaged with PBS or RCJ until the endpoint, and gut microbiota composition was analyzed via shotgun metagenomics. RCJ treatment significantly improved body weight (p ≤ 0.001), survival in mice (p < 0.001) and reduced disease activity index (DAI) scores. Further, RCJ improved colonic barrier integrity by enhancing the expression of protective colonic mucins (p < 0.001) and tight junction proteins (p ≤ 0.01) in RCJ + DSS-treated mice compared to the DSS group. Shotgun metagenomic analysis revealed an enrichment of short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs)-producing bacteria (p < 0.05), leading to increased Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma (PPAR-γ) activation (p ≤ 0.001). This, in turn, resulted in repression of the nuclear factor κB (NFκB) signaling pathway, causing decreased production of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Our study demonstrates colitis remission in a DSS-induced mouse model, showcasing RCJ as a potential modulator for gut microbiota and metabolites, with promising implications for IBD prevention and treatment.
Kut K, Sitarz O, Kapusta I, Bartosz G, Sadowska-Bartosz I. Interaction of Red Cabbage Extract with Exogenous Antioxidants. Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Nov 14;26(22):11011. doi: 10.3390/ijms262211011.
Abstract. Interactions between antioxidants are of interest, mainly for understanding their action in complex biological and food systems. This study aimed to evaluate interactions between the anthocyanin-rich aqueous red cabbage extract and several natural (ascorbic acid, gallic acid, and glutathione) and synthetic (Trolox and TEMPOL) antioxidants as a function of reaction time, concentration, and extract/antioxidant ratio in the ABTS• decolorization and FRAP antioxidant activity assays. The measured interaction type showed dependence on assay type, reaction time, and the extract/antioxidant ratio, but no general dependence on the concentrations of the extract and the antioxidants over a 6-fold concentration range. In the ABTS• decolorization assay, the interactions between the red cabbage extract and exogenous antioxidants were additive (Trolox), weakly antagonistic (ascorbic acid, gallic acid, and glutathione), and definitely antagonistic for TEMPOL. In the FRAP assay, the interactions were additive (ascorbic acid and Trolox), weakly antagonistic (gallic acid and TEMPOL), and definitely synergistic for glutathione. These results suggest the need for a series of assays covering a range of conditions to demonstrate a deviation from additivity in the interactions between antioxidants. The synergy of the interaction of glutathione with the extract in the FRAP assay indicates the possibility of a higher reactivity of this compound in Fe3+ reduction in complex systems than in an assay of the pure compound.
Jean Wilson E, Sirpu Natesh N, Ghadermazi P, Pothuraju R, Shanmugam M, Prajapati DR, Pandey S, Kaifi JT, Dodam JR, Bryan J, Lorson CL, Watrelot AA, Foster JM, Mansel TJ, Joshua Chan SH, Batra SK, Subbiah J, Rachagani S. Red cabbage juice-mediated gut microbiota modulation improves intestinal epithelial homeostasis and ameliorates colitis. bioRxiv [Preprint]. 2023 Aug 24:2023.08.23.554560. doi: 10.1101/2023.08.23.554560. Update in: Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Dec 30;25(1):539. doi: 10.3390/ijms25010539.
Abstract. Gut microbiota plays a crucial role in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and has therapeutic benefits. Thus, targeting the gut microbiota is a promising therapeutic approach for IBD treatment. We recently found that red cabbage juice (RCJ) ameliorates dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis in mice. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The current study investigated the modulation of gut microbiota in response to treatment with RCJ to ameliorate the DSS colitis. The initial results demonstrated that mice treated with DSS + RCJ showed increased body weight and decreased diarrhea and blood in feces compared to the DSS alone group. RCJ ameliorated colitis by regulating the intestinal barrier function by reducing the number of apoptotic cells, improving colonic protective mucin, and increasing tight junction protein in RCJ + DSS groups compared to the DSS group. Short-gun metagenomic analysis revealed significant enrichment of short-chain fatty acid (SCFAs)-producing bacteria (Butyrivibrio, Ruminococcaceae, Acetatifactor muris, Rosburia Sp. CAG:303 , Dorea Sp. 5-2) increased PPAR-© activation, leading to repression of the nuclear factor κB (NFκB) signaling pathway, thus decreasing the production of crucial inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the RCJ + DSS groups compared to the DSS group. Pathway abundance analysis showed an increased abundance of the SCFA pathway, reduced histidine degradation ( Bacteroides sartorii, and Bacteroides caecimuris ), and LCFA production in the RCJ+DSS treated group, suggesting the promotion of good colonic health. Furthermore, increased T-reg (FOXP3+) cells in the colon were due to SCFAs produced by the gut microbiota, which was corroborated by an increase in IL-10, a vital anti-inflammatory cytokine. Thus, our study provides the first evidence that RCJ ameliorates colonic inflammation by modulating the gut microbiota.
Garcia-Ibañez P, Roses C, Agudelo A, Milagro FI, Barceló AM, Viadel B, Nieto JA, Moreno DA, Carvajal M. The Influence of Red Cabbage Extract Nanoencapsulated with Brassica Plasma Membrane Vesicles on the Gut Microbiome of Obese Volunteers. Foods. 2021 May 10;10(5):1038. doi: 10.3390/foods10051038.
Abstract. The aim of the study was to evaluate the influence of the red cabbage extracts on the bioaccessibility of their isothiocyanates, and their effect on the intestinal microbiota using a dynamic model of human digestion treated with the gut microbiome of obese adults. The elicitation of red cabbage plants with methyl jasmonate (MeJA) duplicated the content of glucosinolates (GSLs) in the plant organs used for elaborating the encapsulated formula. The use of plasma membrane vesicles, according to a proper methodology and technology, showed a high retention of sulforaphane (SFN) and indol-3-carbinol (I3C) over the course of the 14-day digestion study. The microbiome was scarcely affected by the treatments in terms of microbiota composition or the Bacteroidetes/Firmicutes ratio, but a 3 to 4-fold increase was observed in the production of butyric acid with the encapsulated extract treatment. Based on our pilot red cabbage extract study, the consumption of this extract, mainly encapsulated, may play a potential role in the management of obesity in adults.
