Glucosinolates biological activity

Fig. 4.1 Sinigrin is an aliphatic glucosinolate that occurs at significant levels in the human diet, notably in mustard and Brussels sprouts. When brought into contact with myrosinase, derived either from plant cells or from colonic bacteria, it is broken down to yield a variety of products including the acrid, volatile, biologically active compoimd...

Mithen R (2001), Glucosinolates - biochemistry, genetics and biological activity , Plant Growth Regul, 34, 91-103. 

CHEW, F.S., Biological effects of glucosinolates. In Biologically Active Natural Products Potential Use in Agriculture (H.G. Cutler, ed.), American Chemical Society, Washington DC. 1988, pp. 155-181. 

Vaughn SF (1999) Glucosinolates as natural herbicides. In Cutler HG, Cutler SJ (eds) Biologically active natural products agrochemicals. CRC Press, Boca Roton, FL81-91... 

Cruciferous species, in which the glucosinolates are biologically active compounds (44), have been studied in both of the latter categories. In Australia, allelopathy has been associated with introduced crucifers such as Brassica tournefortii Gouan (wild turnip) and a more complete study has been made of Camelina sativa (L.) Grants (false flax). 

Few studies have directly compared the effects of different hydrolysis products derived from the same glucosinolate. Such comparative studies with insects are listed in Tables 5.1-3, and comparative studies with other organisms in Table 5.4. In many cases, isothiocyanates seem to have greater biological activity than nitriles, thiocyanates, and oxazolidine-2-thiones. However, comparisons are complicated by differences among the hydrolysis products in physico-chemical properties, such as volatility. If two hydrolysis products differ significantly in volatility, for example,... 

MITHEN, R., Glucosinolates-biochemistry, genetics and biological activity, Plant Growth Reg., 2001, 34,91-103. 

McNaughton SA, Marks GC (2003) Development of a food composition database for the estimation of dietary intakes of glucosinolate, the biologically active constituents of cruciferous vegetables. Br J Nutr 3 687-697... 

CHEW, F.S., Biological effects of glucosinolates, in Biologically Active Natural... 

Nonetheless, glucosinolates and their derivatives are biologically active and have pronounced effects when consumed in excess or when encountered by certain other organisms. Numerous instances of animal poisonings occur because of these plants. Detoxification of the pressed or extracted seed meals of rape and crambe are important processes because of the large quantities that are used as feed supplements for livestock and poultry (Van Etten and Tookey, 1978). 

In many references, it is not clear whether the hydrolysis products or the intact glucosinolates are involved. The hydrolysis products are volatile, whereas the glucosinolates are not. Nonetheless, both types of compound can and do have biological activity. Some hydrolysis products of glucosinolates that stimulate or attract herbivorous insects have been tabulated (Stadler, 1992). 

Glucosinolates Characteristic for vegetable and oil plants from the Brassicaceae family such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and oilseed rape these compounds have to be carefully monitored due to their different biological activities. 

---