Organosulfur compounds from allium

Figure 2. Organosulfur compounds from allium species...

Guyonnet, D. et al.. Liver subcellular fractions from rats treated by organosulfur compounds from Allium modulate mutagen activation, Mutat Res., 466,17,2000. 

Guyonnet, D. et al, Antimutagenic activity of organosulfur compounds from Allium is associated with phase II enzyme induction, AJtitof. Res., 495,135,2001. 

Le Bon, A.M. and Siess, M.H. 2000. Organosulfur compounds from Allium and the chemopreven-tion of cancer. Drug Metabol Drug Interact 77(1-4) 51 79. 

Chapters 8-11 are devoted to consideration of two main classes of phytochemicals Chapter 8 centers on organosulfur compounds from the Allium genus, and their role in cancer prevention, while subsequent chapters are devoted to polyphenols and their wide-ranging effects against cancers, cataracts, and cardiovascular disease. Chapter 9 examines the cancer-protective and therapeutic potential of polymethylated flavonoids such as occur in citras, while Chapter 10 summarizes recent cancer chemopievention research in an area particularly relevant to the British and Chinese backgrounds of the editors, notably tea. A much less well-studied area, that of cataracts and their prevention by dietary flavonoids, is presented in Chapter 11. 

Organosulfur compounds have been shown to modulate the activity of glutathione 5-transferases (GST), a family of enzymes important in detoxification of carcinogens [24], and cytochromes P450 (CYP), a family of enzymes that activate many chemical carcinogens in experimental animals [25]. The effect of proteases inhibition is a new aspect of the biological activity of these plants and further research should be carried out to identify the specific compounds from Allium or Allium products that are responsible for this biochemical effect. 

Lawson, L.D. and Wang, Z J. (1993) Pre-hepatic fate of the organosulfur compounds derived from garlic (Allium sativum). Planta Med. 59 A688-A689. 

Hu Q., Yang Q., Yamato O., Yamasaki M., Maede Y., Yoshihara T. Isolation and identification of organosulfur compounds oxidizing canine erythrocytes from garhc (Allium sativum). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 50 1059-1062 (2002). 

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