Description: <p><b>Isothiocyanates</b> - ITCs</p>
<p><b>Abbreviation:</b> ITCs</p>
<p><b>Type:</b> Natural-product compound class / organosulfur phytochemicals</p>
<p><b>Source:</b> Isothiocyanates are produced primarily from glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, broccoli sprouts, cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, watercress, mustard, and related Brassicaceae plants. Tissue disruption allows myrosinase to hydrolyze glucosinolates and generate corresponding isothiocyanates.</p>
<p><b>Major Members:</b> <br>
Sulforaphane (SFN), <br>
phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC), <br>
benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC), <br>
allyl isothiocyanate (AITC), <br>
and other structurally related isothiocyanates.</p>
<p><b>Function:</b> Isothiocyanates modulate cellular detoxification, oxidative-stress responses, inflammation, apoptosis, cell-cycle regulation, epigenetic signaling, and xenobiotic metabolism. Many ITCs activate NRF2-dependent cytoprotective pathways while also producing sufficient electrophilic and oxidative stress to inhibit cancer-cell growth.</p>
<p><b>Cancer:</b> Isothiocyanates generally exhibit anticancer activity in preclinical models through apoptosis ↑, cell-cycle arrest ↑, detoxification enzyme activity ↑, NRF2 signaling modulation, inflammatory signaling ↓, proliferation ↓, angiogenesis ↓, migration/invasion ↓, and modulation of epigenetic enzymes including HDACs. Effects vary substantially among individual ITCs and cancer types.</p>
<p><b>Alzheimer's Disease:</b> Selected isothiocyanates, particularly sulforaphane, show neuroprotective activity in experimental models through NRF2 activation, antioxidant defense ↑, neuroinflammation ↓, mitochondrial protection, and modulation of protein-clearance pathways. Evidence should generally be attributed to the specific isothiocyanate rather than assumed for the entire class.</p>