Oxidative stress-mediated antiproliferative effects of furan-containing sulfur flavors in human leukemia Jurkat cells

• Antiproliferative effects of fifteen kinds of sulfur flavors were screened.
• Three kinds of furan-containing disulfide showed significantly antiproliferative effects.
• Oxidative stress is involved in antiproliferative effect induced by MMFDS and BMFDS.

Antiproliferative effects of 15 sulfides were investigated in human leukemia Jurkat cells. Treatment with 5–50 μM of nine monosulfides and two linear disulfides did not induce DNA fragmentation. Whereas, furan-containing sulfur flavors including methyl 2-methyl-3-furyl disulfide (MMFDS), bis (2-methyl-3-furyl) disulfide (BMFDS), methyl furfuryl disulfide (MFDS) and difurfuryl disulfide (DFDS) induced DNA fragmentation to a varying extent in Jurkat cells. The cell viability-reduction effect of these sulfur flavors was in the following order: DFDS > BMFDS > MMFDS>>MFDS based on the IC50 values. MMFDS and BMFDS, but not DFDS, significantly increased the intracellular ROS level by 1.90- and 3.02-fold, respectively. Addition of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or glutathione (GSH) partially suppressed induction of DNA fragmentation, apoptosis and caspase-3 activation by MMFDS and BMFDS. These results suggest that the furan-containing disulfides have a strong antiproliferative effect, and the oxidative stress and subsequent caspase-3 activation are involved in antiproliferative effect induced by MMFDS and BMFDS in Jurkat cells.