%0 Journal Article
%T Health Promoting Effects of Brassica-Derived Phytochemicals: From Chemopreventive and Anti-Inflammatory Activities to Epigenetic Regulation
%A Anika Eva Wagner
%A Anna Maria Terschluesen
%A Gerald Rimbach
%J Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/964539
%X A high intake of brassica vegetables may be associated with a decreased chronic disease risk. Health promoting effects of Brassicaceae have been partly attributed to glucosinolates and in particular to their hydrolyzation products including isothiocyanates. In vitro and in vivo studies suggest a chemopreventive activity of isothiocyanates through the redox-sensitive transcription factor Nrf2. Furthermore, studies in cultured cells, in laboratory rodents, and also in humans support an anti-inflammatory effect of brassica-derived phytochemicals. However, the underlying mechanisms of how these compounds mediate their health promoting effects are yet not fully understood. Recent findings suggest that brassica-derived compounds are regulators of epigenetic mechanisms. It has been shown that isothiocyanates may inhibit histone deacetylase transferases and DNA-methyltransferases in cultured cells. Only a few papers have dealt with the effect of brassica-derived compounds on epigenetic mechanisms in laboratory animals, whereas data in humans are currently lacking. The present review aims to summarize the current knowledge regarding the biological activities of brassica-derived phytochemicals regarding chemopreventive, anti-inflammatory, and epigenetic pathways. 1. Introduction Epidemiological studies link a high intake of brassica vegetables with a lower incidence for different kinds of cancers [1¨C3]. Health promoting effects of brassica vegetables have been attributed to glucosinolates, sulfur containing compounds almost exclusively present in plants of the family Brassicaceae. However, these chemopreventive effects are not mediated by glucosinolates per se but mainly through isothiocyanates, one of the major hydrolysis products resulting from myrosinase cleavage [4¨C9]. Myrosinase is a thioglucohydrolase located apart from glucosinolates in so-called myrosin cells. Upon plant cell disruption enzyme and glucosinolate get in contact and hydrolization is initiated. Based on reaction conditions (e.g., pH, temperature) either isothiocyanates, thiocyanates, or nitriles are formed (Figure 1) [10, 11]. Figure 1: Myrosinase-mediated hydrolysis of glucosinolates with main break-down products (modified according to [ 114]). Several in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that brassica derived phytochemicals may counteract inflammatory pathways and exhibit chemopreventive activity. Furthermore, impact of glucosinolates and/or their corresponding hydrolyzation products on epigenetic mechanisms including DNA-methylation, histone modification, and microRNAs has been recently
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/omcl/2013/964539/