Basic Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Pharmacol. Dec 22, 2023; 12(4): 35-52
Published online Dec 22, 2023. doi: 10.5497/wjp.v12.i4.35
Natural isothiocyanates of the genus Capparis as potential agonists of apoptosis and antitumor drugs
Lumír Hanuš, Tuvia Naor, Tatyana Gloriozova, Valery M Dembitsky
Lumír Hanuš, Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Ein Kerem Campus, Jerusalem 91120, Israel
Tuvia Naor, Food Chemistry, Kibbutz, Yotvata 8882000, Israel
Tatyana Gloriozova, Department of Bioinformatics, Institute of Biomedical Chemistry, Moscow 119121, Russia
Valery M Dembitsky, Centre for Applied Research and Innovation, Lethbridge College, Lethbridge AB T1K 1L6, Canada
Co-corresponding authors: Lumír Hanuš and Valery M Dembitsky.
Author contributions: Hanuš L carried out the extraction and analysis of volatile components of yellow and green fruits, seeds, and jam from the scrambling shrub Capparis cartilaginea; Naor T grew the material and provided it for analysis; Gloriozova T determined the biological activity of volatile components; Dembitsky VM prepared the article for publication and also wrote and reviewed this article; and all authors read and approved the final version of the manuscript. In addition, the co-corresponding authors contributed equally to the accompanying manuscript, such as describing the methods, their application to the analysis, and writing the discussion.
Institutional review board statement: The study was conducted in silico and did not include humans or animals, so a statement from the Institutional Review Board was not necessary.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: The study was conducted only in a computational environment and the data and three-dimensional structures used are available in public online databases.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Lumír Hanuš, Institute for Drug Research, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University, Ein Kerem Campus, Jerusalem 91120, Israel. lumirh@ekmd.huji.ac.il
Received: August 28, 2023
Peer-review started: August 28, 2023
First decision: September 19, 2023
Revised: October 12, 2023
Accepted: November 24, 2023
Article in press: November 24, 2023
Published online: December 22, 2023
Processing time: 110 Days and 16.7 Hours
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research background

In the realm of medicinal chemistry, isothiocyanates are characterized by the -N=C=S functional group, which results from substituting the oxygen atom in the isocyanate group with sulfur. These compounds are predominantly found in plants and arise from the enzymatic conversion of metabolites, specifically glucosinolates. Notably, numerous plant-derived isothiocyanates have demonstrated anticarcinogenic properties. Their mechanism of action involves inhibiting the activation of carcinogens and bolstering their detoxification processes.

Research motivation

Our motivation to undertake this study stemmed from the noticeable lack of extensive literature regarding isothiocyanates in food sources. While some health research has touched upon the use of isothiocyanates, comprehensive investigations into their potential benefits remain limited. Consequently, we embarked on an in-depth in silico study of isothiocyanates to assess their preliminary therapeutic properties.

Research objectives

To investigate the composition of fruits, seeds, and jam derived from the scrambling shrub Capparis cartilaginea (C. cartilaginea) utilizing gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis, and to conduct an in silico examination of the biological activity associated with the isolated isothiocyanates.

Research methods

For our investigation, we employed the following methods: GC/MS analysis: This technique allowed us to accurately identify and quantify the volatile components present in the samples from the scrambling shrub C. cartilaginea; PASS computer program: We utilized the PASS software, which boasts a comprehensive database of over one million natural and synthetic compounds, paired with more than 10000 documented biological activities. As per data from its official website, this German-developed program is a popular tool among the scientific community, with over 26000 researchers from 34 different countries using it on an annual basis.

Research results

Our investigation revealed that isothiocyanates exhibit a significant anticancer potential. Additionally, these compounds display other potential biological activities, including antiviral, antibacterial, and antifungal properties.

Research conclusions

The findings from our investigation are promising. We identified the presence of isothiocyanates in jams, seeds, and fruits, which demonstrated potential anti-cancer properties. Nevertheless, further in vitro and in vivo studies are essential to validate these preliminary results.

Research perspectives

Moving forward, the intention is to conduct more in-depth GC/MS and PASS in silico analyses on individual isothiocyanates extracted from jams, seeds, and fruits of the Capparis genus. This will provide a clearer understanding of the properties and potential therapeutic applications of these compounds.