Abstract: Cruciferous plants are one of the most popular and widely cultivated vegetables in the world. They have a strong aroma, bitter taste and spicy flavor and possess multiple biological activities such as anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The compounds responsible for these special flavors and bioactive functions are mainly the secondary defense metabolite glucosinolate and its hydrolysate isothiocyanate. In this paper, the classes, structures, flavor characteristics and biological activities of glucosinolates and their degradation products in cruciferous plants are reviewed, which will provide a basis for the rational utilization of cruciferous plants and for studying the structure and function of glucosinolates in cruciferous plants.

Key words: cruciferous plants, glucosinolate, class, structure, biological activity, flavor characteristics