Human, Animal and Plant Health Benefits of Glucosinolates and Strategies for Enhanced Bioactivity: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Glucosinolates (GSs) are common anionic plant secondary metabolites in the order Brassicales. Together with glucosinolate hydrolysis products (GSHPs), they have recently gained much attention due to their biological activities and mechanisms of action. We review herein the health benefits of GSs/GSHPs, approaches to improve the plant contents, their bioavailability and bioactivity. In this review, only literature published between 2010 and March 2020 was retrieved from various scientific databases. Findings indicate that these compounds (natural, pure, synthetic, and derivatives) play an important role in human/animal health (disease therapy and prevention), plant health (defense chemicals, biofumigants/biocides), and food industries (preservatives). Overall, much interest is focused on in vitro studies as anti-cancer and antimicrobial agents. GS/GSHP levels improvement in plants utilizes mostly biotic/abiotic stresses and short periods of phytohormone application. Their availability and bioactivity are directly proportional to their contents at the source, which is affected by methods of food preparation, processing, and extraction. This review concludes that, to a greater extent, there is a need to explore and improve GS-rich sources, which should be emphasized to obtain natural bioactive compounds/active ingredients that can be included among synthetic and commercial products for use in maintaining and promoting health. Furthermore, the development of advanced research on compounds pharmacokinetics, their molecular mode of action, genetics based on biosynthesis, their uses in promoting the health of living organisms is highlighted.

Phytochemical characterization of turnip greens (Brassica rapa ssp. rapa): A systematic review

“…When vegetables are thermally processed before consumption, plant myrosinase is inactivated and GLS either partially absorbed in stomach of passed to colon where they are hydrolyzed by the intestinal microbime [ 15 ]. GLSs are reported to have disease prophylactic and therapeutic effects mediated via their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, chemopreventive, cytotoxic and anti-cancer activities [ 2 , 16 ].…”

Potential of Germination in Selected Conditions to Improve the Nutritional and Bioactive Properties of Moringa (Moringa oleifera L.)

“…GLS are sulfur-containing secondary metabolites that alongside with their breakdown products exert chemopreventive, anti-tumor and antimicrobial activity [ 45 ]. Current literature has shown that glucomoringin derivatives are able to counteract the inflammatory cascade involved in multiple sclerosis [ 46 ] and exert antibacterial activity [ 47 ].…”

Sustainable Use of Bioactive Compounds from Solanum Tuberosum and Brassicaceae Wastes and by-Products for Crop Protection—A Review

“…Plants of the Brassicaceae family are characterized by a very effective and specific chemical defense system based on the production of a group of secondary anionic metabolites called glucosinolates (GSLs) [ 26 ]. GSLs consist of a S-β- d -glucopyrano unit anomerically connected to an O-sulfated (Z)- thiohydroximate function, which represents the invariant backbone of the molecule, which is linked to a variable side chain (or R-Group).…”

“…This review aims to provide a comprehensive perspective of the scientific literature focused on the biological role of secondary plant metabolites derived from potato and Brassicaceae wastes such as alkaloids, glycoalkaloids, terpenoids, organic acids, glucosinolates (GSLs), and their hydrolysis products. These biocompounds are promising sources of plant-protecting tools and could be used as bio-weapons against pests, for example reducing the attractiveness of plants to different insects or reducing fungal growth development [ 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ].…”