In Vitro Toxicity Studies of Bioactive Organosulfur Compounds from Allium spp. with Potential Application in the Agri-Food Industry: A Review

Abstract

Organosulfur compounds (OSCs) are secondary metabolites produced by different Allium species which present important biological activities such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory antidiabetic, anticarcinogenic, antispasmodic, etc. In recent years, their use has been promoted in the agri-food industry as a substitute for synthetic preservatives, increasing potential accumulative exposure to consumers. Before their application in the food industry, it is necessary to pass a safety assessment as specified by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). This work reviews the scientific literature on OSCs regarding their in vitro toxicity evaluation following PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews. Four electronic research databases were searched (Web of Science, Scopus, Science Database and PubMed) and a total of 43 works were selected according to predeterminate inclusion and exclusion criteria. Different data items and the risk of bias for each study were included. Currently, there are very few in vitro studies focused on investigating the potential toxicity of OSCs. Most research studies aimed to evaluate the cytotoxicity of OSCs to elucidate their antiproliferative effects focusing on their therapeutic aspects using cancer cell lines as the main experimental model. The results showed that diallyl disulfide (DADS) is the compound most studied, followed by diallyl trisulfide (DATS), diallyl sulfide (DAS), Allicin and Ajoene. Only 4 studies have been performed specifically to explore the safety of OSCs for agri-food applications, and genotoxicity studies are limited. More toxicity studies of OSCs are necessary to ensure consumers safety and should mainly be focused on the evaluation of genotoxicity and long-term toxicity effects.

Anti-Leishmania amazonensis Activity, Cytotoxic Features, and Chemical Profile of Allium sativum (Garlic) Essential Oil

“…Several studies have investigated the cytotoxicity of the Allium genus, especially against cancer cell lines [ 47 ]. In order to provide first insights into the safety of ASEO, cytotoxicity assays were conducted on a range of mammalian cells ( Table 3 ).…”

“…Further assays are required to determine whether ASEO affects other microbicidal mechanisms employed by host macrophages. Several studies have investigated the cytotoxicity of the Allium genus, especially against cancer cell lines [47]. In order to provide first insights into the safety of ASEO, cytotoxicity assays were conducted on a range of mammalian cells (Table 3).…”

Organosulfur Compounds in Colorectal Cancer Prevention and Progression

“…Allium sativum is a vegetable widely used in gastronomy and is commonly known as garlic. The chemical composition of garlic is very broad, highlighting mixtures of soluble organosulfur compounds with different health properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, hypoglycemic, antiobesity, or anticancer [ 140 ].…”