Isothiocyanates are a well-known class of cancer chemopreventive agents, and broccoli sprouts are a rich source of several isothiocyanates. We report herein that dietary administration to rats of a freeze-dried aqueous extract of broccoli sprouts significantly and dose-dependently inhibited bladder cancer development induced by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine. The incidence, multiplicity...

Isothiocyanates comprise the most promising class of chemopreventive phytochemicals. They are encountered at substantial amounts in cruciferous vegetables where they exist in the form of glucosinolates. Epidemiological studies have linked consumption of isothiocyanates to low cancer incidence at a number of sites. Furthermore, laboratory studies in animal models of cancer have established that ...

Broccoli sprouts are a rich source of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates that induce phase 2 detoxication enzymes, boost antioxidant status, and protect animals against chemically induced cancer. Glucosinolates are hydrolyzed by myrosinase (an enzyme found in plants and bowel microflora) to form isothiocyanates. In vivo, isothiocyanates are conjugated with glutathione and then sequentially meta...

A structure-activity relationship study was carried out to identify structural features in arylalkyl and alkyl isothiocyanates that are associated with the inhibitory potency of these compounds against lung tumorigenesis induced in A/J mice by the tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). These features include the alkyl chain length, phenyl substitution...

Isothiocyanates and their naturally occurring glucosinolate precursors are widely consumed as part of a diet rich in cruciferous vegetables. When plant cells are damaged, glucosinolates are released and converted to isothiocyanates by the enzyme myrosinase. Many isothiocyanates inhibit the neoplastic effects of various carcinogens at a number of organ sites. Consequently, these agents are attra...

The discovery of the first naturally occurring aromatic isothiocyanates, indole-3-isothiocyanates, their first synthesis, antimicrobial activity and proposed biogenetic origin in canola plants are reported.

Isothiocyanates occur in many edible plants and are consumed in substantial quantities by humans. A number of isothiocyanates block chemical carcinogenesis in a variety of animal models by inhibiting Phase 1 enzymes involved in carcinogen activation and by inducing Phase 2 enzymes that accelerate the inactivation of carcinogens. There are large but unexplained potency differences among individu...

Organic isothiocyanates block the production of tumors induced in rodents by diverse carcinogens (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, azo dyes, ethionine, N-2-fluorenylacetamide, and nitrosamines). Protection is afforded by alpha-naphthyl-, beta-naphthyl-, phenyl-, benzyl-, phenethyl-, and other arylalkyl isothiocyanates against tumor development in liver, lung, mammary gland, forestomach, and es...

The anticancer properties of cruciferous vegetables are well known and attributed to an abundance of isothiocyanates such as benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC) and phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC). While many potential targets of isothiocyanates have been proposed, a full understanding of the mechanisms underlying their anticancer activity has remained elusive. Here we report that BITC and PEITC effe...

A structure-activity relationship study was carried out to identify struc tural features in arylalkyl and alkyl isothiocyanates that are associated with the inhibitory potency of these compounds against lung tumorigenesis induced in A/J mice by the tobacco-specific nitrosamine 4-(methylnitrosamino)-l-(3-pyridyl)-l-butanone (NNK). These features include the alkyl chain length, phenyl substitutio...