Nasturtium

Tropaeolum majus, commonly known as nasturtium, is a well-established medicinal and culinary plant and an important source of bioactive mustard oils. It is particularly significant in the production of herbal medicines that treat respiratory and urinary tract infections. Due to its antimicrobial properties, the plant is attracting increasing interest for developing innovative health products based on natural compounds.
One particularly important compound is glucotropaeolin (GTL), a mustard oil glycoside that is converted into benzyl isothiocyanate (BIT) following enzymatic hydrolysis. BIT exhibits pronounced antibacterial properties and forms the basis for the therapeutic use of nasturtium. In the plant, the mustard oil system serves as a natural defense mechanism against herbivores and pathogens.
Maintaining a high glucotropaeolin content is challenging for producing high-quality, plant-based raw materials. Even during harvesting or processing, tissue damage can lead to the release of the active ingredient, resulting in changes to the chemical profile. Therefore, developing suitable cultivation, harvesting, and processing strategies is central to ensuring consistently high raw material quality.
At Fraunhofer IME, we are investigating the genetic basis of glucotropaeolin biosynthesis and identifying the genes involved in forming this valuable natural compound. Our goal is to develop molecular markers and new breeding tools that will allow us to select high-performing genotypes with optimized chemical profiles. By doing so, we are laying the foundation for knowledge- and data-driven nasturtium breeding.
We use modern methods of plant biotechnology to characterize the identified genes functionally. These methods include heterologous expression systems, plant cell and tissue cultures, and genome editing techniques. Cell and tissue cultures also serve as promising platforms for the sustainable production of valuable natural compounds.
By combining genomics, functional plant biotechnology, and innovative breeding approaches, we contribute to developing high-performing nasturtium varieties and ensuring the long-term availability of high-quality, plant-based raw materials for phytopharmaceuticals.