title: Inhibition of platelet activation by lachrymatory factor synthase (LFS)-silenced (tearless) onion juice.
abstract: Onion and garlic are renowned for their roles as functional foods. The health benefits of garlic are attributed to di-2-propenyl thiosulfinate (allicin), a sulfur compound found in disrupted garlic but not found in disrupted onion. Recently, onions have been grown with repressed lachrymatory factor synthase (LFS) activity, which causes these onions to produce increased amounts of di-1-propenyl thiosulfinate, an isomer of allicin. This investigation into the key health attributes of LFS-silenced (tearless) onions demonstrates that they have some attributes more similar to garlic and that this is likely due to the production of novel thiosulfinate or metabolites. The key finding was that collagen-induced in vitro platelet aggregation was significantly reduced by tearless onion extract over normal onion extract. Thiosulfinate or derived compounds were shown not to be responsible for the observed changes in the inflammatory response of AGS (stomach adenocarcinoma) cells to tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) when pretreated with model onion juices. A preliminary rat feeding trial indicated that the tearless onions may also play a key role in reducing weight gain.
authors.affiliation: The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Private Bag 4704, Christchurch, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Susan J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Thomson
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rippon
authors.forename: Chrissie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Butts
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Nigel I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Joyce
authors.forename: Colin C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Eady
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D020868:Gene Silencing; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000276:immunology; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019697:Onions / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015539:Platelet Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D010974:Platelet Aggregation / Q000187:drug effects; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D016209:Interleukin-8; D028321:Plant Preparations; D010940:Plant Proteins; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors