sulphoraphene and isothiocyanic-acid

Our research group previously found that broccoli sprouts possess neuroprotective effects during pregnancy. The active compound has been identified as sulforaphane (SFA), obtained from glucosinolate and glucoraphanin, which are also present in other crucifers, including kale. Sulforaphene (SFE), obtained from glucoraphenin in radish, also has numerous biological benefits, some of which supersede those of sulforaphane. It is likely that other components, such as phenolics, contribute to the biological activity of cruciferous vegetables. Notwithstanding their beneficial phytochemicals, crucifers are known to contain erucic acid, an antinutritional fatty acid. The aim of this research was to phytochemically examine broccoli, kale, and radish sprouts to determine good sources of SFA and SFE to inform future studies of the neuroprotective activity of cruciferous sprouts on the fetal brain, as well as product development. Three broccoli: Johnny's Sprouting Broccoli (JSB), Gypsy F1 (GYP), and Mumm's Sprouting Broccoli (MUM), one kale: Johnny's Toscano Kale (JTK), and three radish cultivars: Black Spanish Round (BSR), Miyashige (MIY), and Nero Tunda (NT), were analyzed. We first quantified the glucosinolate, isothiocyanate, phenolics, and DPPH free radical scavenging activity (AOC) of one-day-old dark- and light-grown sprouts by HPLC. Radish cultivars generally had the highest glucosinolate and isothiocyanate contents, and kale had higher glucoraphanin and significantly higher sulforaphane content than the broccoli cultivars. Lighting conditions did not significantly affect the phytochemistry of the one-day-old sprouts. Based on phytochemistry and economic factors, JSB, JTK, and BSR were chosen for further sprouting for three, five, and seven days and subsequently analyzed. The three-day-old JTK and radish cultivars were identified to be the best sources of SFA and SFE, respectively, both yielding the highest levels of the respective compound while retaining high levels of phenolics and AOC and markedly lower erucic acid levels compared to one-day-old sprouts.

Topics: Brassica; Free Radicals; Glucosinolates; Isothiocyanates; Raphanus

To explore if a natural isothiocyanate, sulforaphene (SFE), sensitizes ovarian cancer cells to the chemotherapy drug cisplatin (CDDP).. We studied reactive oxygen species (ROS), mitochondrial membrane depolarization and cell-cycle distribution in two ovarian cancer cell lines SKOV3 and SNU 8 treated with SFE and cisplatin. We further analyzed the expression of caspases 3, 8, and 9, Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) by western blotting.. SFE sensitized cells to cisplatin by enhancing ROS and mitochondrial membrane depolarization that released cytochrome c and activated caspase 9 and caspase 3 in the mitochondrial pathway. It also inhibited extrinsic pathway protein caspase 8, growth-related protein PI3K and further activated PTEN in combination with cisplatin.. SFE synergistically inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis of SKOV3 and SNU8 cells in combination with cisplatin by activating multiple apoptotic pathways. Therefore, we suggest sulforaphene as a chemo-enhancing adjuvant to improve the efficacy of cisplatin in ovarian cancer treatment.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Apoptosis; Caspases; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cisplatin; Cytochromes c; Drug Synergism; Enzyme Activation; Female; Humans; Isothiocyanates; Membrane Potential, Mitochondrial; Mitochondria; Ovarian Neoplasms; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinases; PTEN Phosphohydrolase; Reactive Oxygen Species

Nearly 25% of all breast cancer is characterized by overexpression of HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) which leads to overactivation of prosurvival signal transduction pathways, especially through Akt-mTOR-S6K kinases, and results in enhanced proliferation, migration, induction of angiogenesis, and apoptosis inhibition. Anti-HER2 targeted therapies, such as specific monoclonal antibodies or small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, even in combination, still seem to be insufficient due to incidence of primary or acquired resistance and prevalence of serious side-effects of these drugs. We assumed that combination of compounds that target different levels of the above-mentioned signal transduction pathway might be more effective in eradication of breast cancer cells. In our in vitro research we used a commercially available drug, lapatinib, acting at the level of the receptor in combination with 1 of the plant-derived isothiocyanates: sulforaphane, erucin, or sulforaphene, as it has been shown previously that sulforaphane inhibits Akt-mTOR-S6K1 pathway in breast cancer cells. We used 2 HER2 overexpressing breast cancer cell lines, SKBR-3 and BT-474. Combinations of the drug and isothiocyanates considerably decreased their viability. This action was synergistic and was accompanied by a decrease in phosphorylation of HER2, Akt, and S6. Combined treatment induced apoptosis more efficiently than either agent alone; however the most effective was a combination of lapatinib with erucin. These findings might support the optimization of therapy based on lapatinib treatment.

Topics: Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols; Apoptosis; Breast Neoplasms; Cell Line, Tumor; Cell Proliferation; Cell Survival; Female; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Isothiocyanates; Lapatinib; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; Quinazolines; Receptor, ErbB-2; Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa; Signal Transduction; Sulfides; Sulfoxides; Thiocyanates; TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases