title: Glucosinolates redox activities: can they act as antioxidants?
abstract: Glucosinolates are a class of secondary plant metabolites particularly occurring in Cruciferae with potential health-promoting properties, as their hydrolysis products, isothiocyanates, possess chemopreventive and antioxidant activities. In the present study, we systematically studied the in vitro redox behaviour of 15 glucosinolates, by using a range of analytical methods measuring different activities: (i) radical scavenging activity toward peroxyl and toward ABTS radical (chain-breaking activity); (ii) capacity in modulating the in vitro resistance of human low-density lipoprotein (LDL) catalysed by copper (chelating and chain-breaking activity). Data obtained from different assays were compared and analysed by principal component analysis (PCA). PCA allowed us to identify a big cluster of glucosinolates (10 out 15 tested) that do not possess any antioxidant capacity; while, the other five glucosinolates showed moderate and specific antioxidant capacity. Notably, sinalbin and gluconasturtiin were highly active in scavenging ABTS radical and in protecting LDL from copper-catalysed oxidation, respectively. The overall results of this study indicate that just few glucosinolates can act as antioxidants.
authors.affiliation: Food and Nutrition Center of the Agricultural Research Council - CRA-NUT, Via Ardeatina 546, 00178 Roma, Italy. Electronic address: fausta.natella@entecra.it.
authors.forename: Fausta
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Natella
authors.forename: Mariateresa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maldini
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leoni
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scaccini
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D005961:Glucosinolates / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D015394:Molecular Structure; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D005961:Glucosinolates; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL
keywords: Brassicaceae; Electrospray mass spectrometry; Glucosinolates; Metal chelation