Bio-protective effects of glucosinolates – A review

Glucosinolates are an important and unique class of secondary plant products containing β-D-thioglucose and sulphonated oxime moieties. These include thioglucosides, characterized by side chain with varying aliphatic, aromatic and heteroaromatic carbon skeletons. Glucosinolates get converted into various degradation products (isothiocyanates, thiocyanates, indoles etc.), when vegetables containing them are cut or chewed because during this process they come in contact with the enzyme myrosinase which hydrolyses them. Though the available literature emphasizes the drawbacks of this class of compounds, but the potential benefits that might emerge from their biological activities have been ignored. These compounds possess diverse biological activities including protection against various pathogens and weeds in case of plants and as potent anticarcinogens. The enormous importance of this group of compounds cannot be overlooked and detailed insight into their role in diverse fields and the mechanisms operating behind them is required. The present review focuses on the beneficial bioactivities of glucosinolates such as antifungal, antibacterial, bioherbicidal, antioxidant, antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic etc. along with their experimental evidence and mode of action. These phytochemicals deserve proper position in therapeutic armamentarium. Clinical studies with these biomolecules are required to be accelerated to validate their affect in vivo.