Abstract
Glucosinolates are a large group of plant secondary metabolites with nutritional effects, and are mainly found in cruciferous plants. After ingestion, glucosinolates could be partially absorbed in their intact form through the gastrointestinal mucosa. However, the largest fraction is metabolized in the gut lumen. When cruciferous are consumed without processing, myrosinase enzyme present in these plants hydrolyzes the glucosinolates in the proximal part of the gastrointestinal tract to various metabolites, such as isothiocyanates, nitriles, oxazolidine-2-thiones, and indole-3-carbinols. When cruciferous are cooked before consumption, myrosinase is inactivated and glucosinolates transit to the colon where they are hydrolyzed by the intestinal microbiota. Numerous factors, such as storage time, temperature, and atmosphere packaging, along with inactivation processes of myrosinase are influencing the bioavailability of glucosinolates and their breakdown products. This review paper summarizes the assimilation, absorption, and elimination of these molecules, as well as the impact of processing on their bioavailability.
Highlights
Glucosinolates are secondary metabolites synthesized by plants
Due to the biological properties associated with glucosinolates and their breakdown products, especially ITCs, understanding, on the one hand, the absorption routes of these molecules and their metabolism and, on the other hand, the impact of processing parameters on their presence in food products is of great importance
It has been shown that the incubation of human feces in presence of pure glucosinolates or cruciferous vegetable juices, in which myrosinase was inactivated by heating, leads to the formation of ITCs [94, 98]
Summary
Glucosinolates are secondary metabolites synthesized by plants. They contain sulfur groups and are present in numerous species belonging to Brassicaceae family [1]. Glucosinolates are composed of thiohydroximate-O-sulfonate group linked to glucose, and an alkyl, aralkyl, or indolyl side chain (R) [2] (Figure 1). More than 200 side-groups have been identified and cited in the literature [2,3,4]. Glucosinolates are relatively stable in plant cell. When the plant tissue containing glucosinolates is damaged, as is the case in the preparation (cutting, chopping, mixing) or chewing food, a β-thioglucosidase called myrosinase is released.
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