Wasabia japonica

Pedras and co-workers (98P1959) isolated a phytoalexin from Wasabi (Wasabia japonica, syn. Eutrema wasabi) and determined its structure to be methyl l-methoxyindole-3-carboxylate (109) (Scheme 38). Compound 109 had already been synthesized by Acheson and co-workers [78JCS(P1)1117] in ten steps from o-nitroaniline. Pedras and co-workers (98P1959) combined our tungstate method and Acheson s work, and synthesized 109 in 9% overall yield but in an impure state. 

In a further study involving the same substrate, but with an enzyme preparation from Wasabia japonica Matsumura, Kametani et al. (772) demonstrated the formation of the head-to-head coupled dimers 134 and 136, together with an unidentified product. The O-methyl substrate 131 was not metabolized by the enzyme preparation used in this study. The major... 

Yano, T. et al.. The effect of 6-methylthiohexyl isothiocyanate isolated from Wasabia japonica (wasabi) on 4-(methylnitrosamino)-l-(3-pyridyl)-l-buatnone-induced lung tumorigenesis in mice. Cancer Lett., 155, 115,2000. 

H2C=CH(CH2)4C(SG1c) =N0S03H C13H23NO9S2 401.458 Present in horseradish (Armoracia lapathifolia) and Japanese horseradish (Wasabia japonica). 

There are two rich sources of organosulphur compounds from plants (1) Alliaceae family containing alliin-alliinase system and (2) Cruciferae (Brassicacae) family e.g. Brassica juncea, Wasabia japonica (wasabi), Armoracia rusticam (horseradish) and Brassica oleracea (cauliflower) containing glucosinolate-myrosinase (Mithen 2006). A number of sulphur-containing compounds can be derived from these plants through the action of myrosinase and alliinase enzymes. 

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