Can Cruciferous Vegetables Repair Damaged Cell Cycle Checkpoints?
William J. Zupko, Woodbridge High School, Fords, NJ Indole – 3 – Carbinol is a commonly found chemical in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli. Many reports suggest that these vegetables provide cancer protection by correcting damaged cell cycles. I was interestied in finding out if the Indole 3 Carbinol does play a role in the repair of the damged cells. I experimented with the Indole – 3 Carbinol, and tested it with mutant yeast (S pombe), which don’t divide at 35 degrees Celsius, to see if the yeast would once again reproduce and divide. During my experimentations, I had found out that Indole – 3 – Carbinol is not soluble in water slightly in alcohol, and more in acetone. When I applied the Indole – 3 – Carbinol to the yeast while suspended in acetone, the yeast were killed by the concentration of acetone. After I exhausted all possible ways of applying the Indole – 3 – Carbinol to the yeast, I used a broccoli extract suspended in alcohol. First I mixied the broccoli extract into
