Observation of Bioluminescence in the Atlantic Fish (
            <i>Porichthys porosissimum</i>
            )

Weisberger, Austin S.; Pensky, Jack

doi:10.1126/science.126.3283.1112-a

Cited by 73 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…Further transformation of organosulfur compounds can occur after interaction with free sulfhydryl groups, including those present in cysteine, glutathione, or proteins (4,5). Incubation of cystein with allyldisulfide or diallylsulfide groups produces Sallylmercaptocysteine and allylmercaptane, respectively (6).…”

Section: Active Compounds In Allium Vegetablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Allium vegetables and organosulfur compounds: do they help prevent cancer?

Bianchini

Vainio

2001

Environ Health Perspect

194

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The Allium genus includes approximately 500 species, the most widely used of which are onions (Allium cepa), garlic (Allium sativum), leeks (Allium porrum), chives (Allium schoenoprasum), and shallots (Allium ascalonicum). Garlic is widely cultivated and consumed worldwide, and its beneficial effects have been known for thousands of years. It has been considered to increase longevity and to confer stamina and physical strength, and it has been used empirically as a vermifuge, antiseptic, antimicrobic, antipyretic, and analgesic. The scientific community has now become interested in the pharmacologic properties of Allium vegetables and their chemical constituents, particularly with regard to their effects on the cardiovascular system and in the prevention of cancer. Garlic has antihypertensive and antiarrythmic properties and exerts an antithrombotic effect through fibrinolytic activity and the reduction of platelet aggregation. Ingestion of garlic has also been reported to lower the concentration of triglycerides, cholesterol, and low-density lipoproteins and to increase the concentration of high-density lipoproteins in blood. These findings suggest that garlic has a preventive effect against atherosclerosis and its complications, including stroke, myocardial infarction, and thrombotic disorders. The findings in relation to cancer prevention that have been accumulated over the last 20 years are summarized here.We performed a systematic Medline search of the published literature on epidemiologic studies involving the relationship between consumption of Allium vegetables-garlic, onions, and leeks-and neoplasms/tumors. For the animal studies and for studies on mechanisms of action, we conducted searches for review articles. These lists of references were then updated using references from review papers and original research articles. Active Compounds in Allium VegetablesFresh garlic contains water, carbohydrates, proteins, fiber, and fat, as well as essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. When garlic is cut, chopped, or crushed, the clove's membrane is disrupted and S-allylcysteine sulfoxide (an odorless compound called alliine) is transformed enzymatically into allicin by alliinase (1). Allicin is responsible for the typical odor of garlic, but it is unstable and converts readily into mono-, di-, and trisulfides and other compounds such as ajoene. Onions mainly contain S-propenylcysteine sulfoxide (1), but also other sulfoxides, including S-propylcysteine sulfoxide and S-methylcysteine sulfoxide (2). S-Propenylcysteine sulfoxide, positional isomer of alliin, is called lacrimatory precursor, because it is tranformed by alliinase into the lacrimatory factor propanethial S-oxide. The lacrimatory factor is highly reactive and hydrolyzes to propionaldehyde, sulfuric acid, and hydrogen sulfide; it is also the precursor of several sulfur derivatives. Organosulfur compounds present in Allium vegetables, which are either lipid or water soluble (Table 1), are considered responsible for the beneficial effects of these...

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Section: Active Compounds In Allium Vegetablesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Allium vegetables and organosulfur compounds: do they help prevent cancer?

Bianchini

Vainio

2001

Environ Health Perspect

194

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“…Recent studies on the anticancer effects of garlic have revealed that allicin can induce apoptosis in cancer cells through oxidative modification of cellular sulfhydryl (thiol) groups (19). Arditti et al (20) and Miron et al (21) reported that characteristic properties of allicin, such as high membrane permeability and congenital high reactivity, worked favorably in the tumor.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biological and Chemical Stability of Garlic-Derived Allicin

Fujisawa

Suma

Origuchi

et al. 2008

J. Agric. Food Chem.

152

123

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This study verifies the instability of garlic (Allium sativum L.)-derived allyl 2-propenylthiosulfinate (allicin) in various aqueous and ethanolic solutions as well as in vegetable oil through chemical and biological analyses performed simultaneously. Crushed fresh garlic cloves generated antibacterial activity and chemically detectable allicin, a major antibacterial principle, and both declined on a daily basis in aqueous and ethanolic solutions at room temperature, showing biological and chemical half-lives of about 6 and 11 days, respectively. Allicin was more stable in 20% alcohol than in water, but surprisingly unstable in vegetable oil, with an activity half-life 0.8 h, as estimated from its antibacterial activity toward Escherichia coli, and a chemical half-life of 3.1 h, based on chromatographic quantification. In alcoholic and aqueous extracts, the biological half-life of allicin tended to be longer than the chemical one, suggesting the occurrence of bioactive compounds other than allicin in the extracts.

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“…It is also known that diallyl disulfide inhibits in vivo activation of nitrosamines. Unsaturated polysulfides found in allium principles inhibit tumor promotion [78][79][80] perhaps by enhancing glutathionedependent detoxification enzymes. Injection of tumor cells treated with garlic extract, induced tumor immunity in mice.…”

Section: Cancer Preventive Effectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Rethinking on the Benefits and Drawbacks of Common Antioxidants and a Proposal to Look for the Antioxidants in Allium Products as Ideal Agents: A Review

et al. 2011

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This review article on the beneficial uses of Allium antioxidants tries to give some answers to the recent doubts raised by Singh et al. (Ind J Clin Biochem 25(3):225-243, 2010) against the claim of some researchers that Antioxidants (AOs) are miraculous molecules. Many people still believe that vitamins like A, C and E are the only true AOs that play important role in the corrections of metabolic derangements in life style diseases and hence all their faults are attributed to the failures of AOs as a class. This is quite unfair as there are many other natural AOs that do equal or even better AO action than the vitamins. Such is the case with the Allium S-alkyl sulfoxide aminoacids and their breakdown products viz, the various poly sulfides and their oxides e.g. allicin and ajoene type compounds which trap electrons mainly. It is true that antioxidant vitamins and b-carotene a precursor of Vitamin A bring about problems as prooxidant or as agents that block some metabolic pathways and gene expression. Again the argument that AOs cannot improve the level of antioxidant enzymes like SOD, catalase and glutathione Px is also not universal. Actually allium AOs can even spare the use of antioxidant vitamins in the body and enhance the action of antioxidant enzymes and supply of ATP and other nutrients to the tissues as the former are good vasodialators and promoters of membrane permeability. The use of AOs should be selective and moderate.

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Observation of Bioluminescence in the Atlantic Fish ( Porichthys porosissimum )

Cited by 73 publications

References 3 publications

Allium vegetables and organosulfur compounds: do they help prevent cancer?

Allium vegetables and organosulfur compounds: do they help prevent cancer?

Biological and Chemical Stability of Garlic-Derived Allicin

A Rethinking on the Benefits and Drawbacks of Common Antioxidants and a Proposal to Look for the Antioxidants in Allium Products as Ideal Agents: A Review

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