Variations in the concentration of glucoraphanin (GRA) and glucoerucin (GER), as well as the corresponding breakdown products, isothiocyanates (ITCs) and nitriles, were investigated during the growth of broccoli sprouts. The concentrations of GRA and GER decreased sharply from 33.66 µmol/g to 11.48 µmol/g and 12.98 µmol/g to 8.23 µmol/g, respectively, after seed germination. From the third to the seventh day, both GRA and GER were maintained as relatively stable. The highest concentrations of sulforaphane (17.16 µmol/g) and erucin (12.26 µmol/g) were observed on the first day. Hereafter, the concentrations of nitrile hydrolyzed from GRA or GER were higher than those of the corresponding ITCs. Moreover, the ratio of sulforaphane to sulforaphane nitrile decreased from 1.35 to 0.164 from 1 d to 5 d, with a similar trend exhibited for erucin/erucin nitrile after 2 d. RNA-seq analysis showed that BolMYB28 and BolCYP83A1, involved in aliphatic glucosinolate (GSL) biosynthesis, remained largely unexpressed until the third day. In contrast, the genes operating within the GSL-myrosinase hydrolysis pathway were highly expressed right from the beginning, with their expression levels increasing significantly after the third day. Additionally, we identified two BolESPs and six BolNSPs that might play important roles in promoting the production of nitriles during the development of broccoli sprouts.

Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic drug for the treatment of several solid tumors, whose use is limited by its nephrotoxicity, neurotoxicity, ototoxicity, and development of resistance. The toxicity is caused by DNA cross-linking, increase in reactive oxygen species and/or depletion of cell antioxidant defenses. The aim of the work was to study the effect of antioxidant compounds (Lisosan G, Taurisolo®) or hydrogen sulfide (H2S)-releasing compounds (erucin) in the auditory HEI-OC1 cell line treated with cisplatin. Cell viability was determined using the MTT assay. Caspase and sphingomyelinase activities were measured by fluorometric and colorimetric methods, respectively. Expression of transcription factors, apoptosis hallmarks and genes codifying for antioxidant response proteins were measured by Western blot and/or RT-qPCR. Lisosan G, Taurisolo® and erucin did not show protective effects. Sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS), a donor of H2S, increased the viability of cisplatin-treated cells and the transcription of heme oxygenase 1, superoxide dismutase 2, NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase type 1 and the catalytic subunit of glutamate-cysteine ligase and decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS), the Bax/Bcl2 ratio, caspase-3, caspase-8 and acid sphingomyelinase activity. Therefore, NaHS might counteract the cytotoxic effect of cisplatin by increasing the antioxidant response and by reducing ROS levels and caspase and acid sphingomyelinase activity.

Modulation of mitochondrial K channels represents a pharmacological strategy to promote cardioprotective effects. Isothiocyanates emerge as molecules capable of releasing hydrogen sulfide (H2S), an endogenous pleiotropic gasotransmitter responsible for anti-ischemic cardioprotective effects also through the involvement of mitoK channels. Erucin (ERU) is a natural isothiocyanate resulting from the enzymatic hydrolysis of glucosinolates (GSLs) present in Eruca sativa Mill. seeds, an edible plant of the Brassicaceae family. In this experimental work, the specific involvement of mitoKATP channels in the cardioprotective effect induced by ERU was evaluated in detail. An in vivo preclinical model of acute myocardial infarction was reproduced in rats to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of ERU. Diazoxide was used as a reference compound for the modulation of potassium fluxes and 5-hydroxydecanoic acid (5HD) as a selective blocker of KATP channels. Specific investigations on isolated cardiac mitochondria were carried out to evaluate the involvement of mitoKATP channels. The results obtained showed ERU cardioprotective effects against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) damage through the involvement of mitoKATP channels and the consequent depolarizing effect, which in turn reduced calcium entry and preserved mitochondrial integrity.

The study on Erucin (ER) has gained interest of nutraceutical and pharmaceutical industries because of its anti-cancer properties. Erucin is an isothiocyanate obtained from the seeds of Eruca sativa which possess certain drawbacks such as poor aqueous solubility and bioavailability. Therefore, the present study aimed at developing ER-cubosomes (CUB) by solvent evaporation technique followed by applying Central Composite Design to optimize ER loaded cubosomes. For this purpose, independent variables selected were Monoolein (MO) as lipid and Pluronic-84 (P-84) as a stabilizer whereas dependent variables were particle size, percentage of ER loading and percentage of its entrapment efficiency. The cubosomal nanocarriers exhibited particle size in the range of 26 nm, entrapment efficiency of 99.12 ± 0.04% and drug loading of 3.96 ± 0.0001%. Furthermore, to investigate the antioxidant potential, we checked the effect of ER and ER-CUB by DNA nicking assay, DDPH assay and Phosphomolybdate assay, and results showed significant improvement in antioxidant potential for ER-CUB than ER. Similarly, ER-CUB showed enhanced anticancer activity with a marked reduction in IC50 value than ER in MTT assay. These results suggested that ER-CUB produced notable escalation in antioxidant potential and enhanced anticancer activity than ER.

Preservation of vascular wall integrity against degenerative processes associated with ageing, fat-rich diet and metabolic diseases is a timely therapeutical challenge. The loss of endothelial function and integrity leads to cardiovascular diseases and multiorgan inflammation. The protective effects of the H2S-donor erucin, an isothiocyanate purified by Eruca sativa Mill. seeds, were evaluated on human endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells. In particular, erucin actions were evaluated on cell viability, ROS, caspase 3/7, inflammatory markers levels and the endothelial hyperpermeability in an inflammatory model associated with high glucose concentrations (25 mM, HG). Erucin significantly prevented the HG-induced decrease in cell viability as well as the increase in ROS, caspase 3/7 activation, and TNF-α and IL-6 levels. Similarly, erucin suppressed COX-2 and NF-κB upregulation associated with HG exposure. Erucin also caused a significant inhibition of p22phox subunit expression in endothelial cells. In addition, erucin significantly prevented the HG-induced increase in endothelial permeability as also confirmed by the quantification of the specific markers VE-Cadherin and ZO-1. In conclusion, our results assess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects by erucin in vascular cells undergoing HG-induced inflammation and this protection parallels the preservation of endothelial barrier properties.

Sulforaphane(SFN) and erucin(ERN) are isothiocyanates (ITCs) bearing, respectively, methylsulfinyl and methylsulfanyl groups. Their chemopreventive and anticancer activity is attributed to ability to modulate cellular redox status due to induction of Phase 2 cytoprotective enzymes (indirect antioxidant action) but many attempts to connect the bioactivity of ITCs with their radical trapping activity failed. Both ITCs are evolved from their glucosinolates during food processing of Cruciferous vegetables, therefore, we studied antioxidant behaviour of SFN/ERN at elevated temperature in two lipid systems. Neither ERN nor SFN inhibit the oxidation of bulk linolenic acid (below 100  °C) but both ITCs increase oxidative stability of soy lecithin (above 150 °C). On the basis of GC-MS analysis we verified our preliminary hypothesis (Antioxidants2020, 9, 1090) about participation of sulfenic acids and methylsulfinyl radicals as radical trapping agents responsible for the antioxidant effect of edible ITCs during thermal oxidation of lipids at elevated temperatures (above 140 °C).

Plant secondary metabolites influence the feeding in insects through several modes of action. In this study, the physiological effects of erucin isothiocyanate were investigated on the elm leaf beetleXanthogaleruca luteola(Müller) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) via impact on crustacean cardioactive peptide (CCAP) and midgut digestive enzymes. Third instar larvae of elm leaf beetle were fed on leaves impregnated with erucin for three days. The results showed that erucin decreasedα-amylase, lipase, and protease release. Western blot analysis and competitive ELISA showed that erucin decreased CCAP content of the midgut, brain, and hemolymph. Moreover, incubation of dissected midgut with CCAP and also its injection into the hemocoel increased digestive enzyme release. It could be concluded that erucin isothiocyanate decreases CCAP content that itself led to a decrease in digestive enzyme release. Also, it suggests that CCAP could be one of the factors, regulating feeding activities in the elm leaf beetle. This report shows that CCAP is both a midgut factor and a neuropeptide that regulates digestive enzyme release in the elm leaf beetle and could be used to study erucin effects in insects.

Isothiocyanates (ITCs) are important functional components of cruciferous vegetables. The principal isothiocyanate molecule in broccoli is sulforaphane (SFN), followed by erucin (ERN). They are sensitive to changes in temperature, especially high temperature environments where they are prone to degradation. The present study investigates the effects of high hydrostatic pressure on isothiocyanate content, myrosinase activity, and other functional components of broccoli, and evaluates its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Broccoli samples were treated with different pressures and for varying treatment times; 15 min at 400 MPa generated the highest amounts of isothiocyanates. The content of flavonoids and vitamin C were not affected by the high-pressure processing strategy, whereas total phenolic content (TPC) exhibited an increasing tendency with increasing pressure, indicating that high-pressure processing effectively prevents the loss of the heat-sensitive components and enhances the nutritional content. The activity of myrosinase (MYR) increased after high-pressure processing, indicating that the increase in isothiocyanate content is related to the stimulation of myrosinase activity by high-pressure processing. In other key enzymes, the ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity was unaffected by high pressure, whereas peroxidase (POD) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity exhibited a 1.54-fold increase after high-pressure processing, indicating that high pressures can effectively destroy oxidases and maintain food quality. With regards to efficacy evaluation, NO production was inhibited and the expression levels of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were decreased in broccoli treated with high pressures, whereas the cell viability remained unaffected. The efficacy was more significant when the concentration of SFN was 60 mg·mL-1. In addition, at 10 mg·mL-1 SFN, the reduced/oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) ratio in inflammatory macrophages increased from 5.99 to 9.41. In conclusion, high-pressure processing can increase the isothiocyanate content in broccoli, and has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects in cell-based evaluation strategies, providing a potential treatment strategy for raw materials or additives used in healthy foods.

In this communication we demonstrate that two natural isothiocyanates, sulforaphane (SFN) and erucin (ERN), inhibit autoxidation of lipids at 140 °C but not below 100 °C. This effect is due to thermal decomposition of ERN and SFN to sulfenic acids and methylsulfinyl radicals, species able to trap lipidperoxyl radicals. Our observations shed new light on thermal processing of vegetables containing these two isothiocyanates.

Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is an endogenous gasotransmitter, largely known as a pleiotropic mediator endowed with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, pro-autophagic, and neuroprotective properties. Moreover, a strong relationship between H2S and aging has been recently identified and consistently, a significant decline of H2S levels has been observed in patients affected by Alzheimer\'s disease (AD). On this basis, the use of H2S-donors could represent an exciting and intriguing strategy to be pursued for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs). In this work, we designed a small series of multitarget molecules combining the rivastigmine-scaffold, a well-established drug already approved for AD, with sulforaphane (SFN) and erucin (ERN), two natural products deriving from the enzymatic hydrolysis of glucosinolates contained in broccoli and rocket, respectively, endowed both with antioxidant and neuroprotective effects. Notably, all new synthetized hybrids exhibit a H2S-donor profile in vitro and elicit protective effects in a model of LPS-induced microglia inflammation. Moreover, a decrease in NO production has been observed in LPS-stimulated cells pre-treated with the compounds. Finally, the compounds showed neuroprotective and antioxidant activities in human neuronal cells. The most interesting compounds have been further investigated to elucidate the possible mechanism of action.