抄録
Alliaceous and cruciferous vegetables are rich in bioactive organosulfur compounds, including glucosinolates, which have a wide spectrum of health-promoting benefits. In mammals, including humans, it has been reported that supersulfides, such as cysteine hydropersulfide (CysS2H) and glutathione hydropersulfide, are endogenously produced and not only exhibit potent antioxidant activity but also function as key modulators of redox signaling in a variety of diseases. It is thought that animals utilize sulfur-containing compounds ingested from foods for the biosynthesis of other sulfur-containing compounds, including supersulfides. Few studies, however, have focused on supersulfides in foods. We recently established a quantitative analysis method of supersulfide profiling in foods using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, and investigated the supersulfide profile in foods including meats and fresh vegetables such as garlic, onions, and broccoli sprouts. The results showed that alliaceous and cruciferous vegetables were relatively abundant in supersulfides and broccoli sprouts had the highest total polysulfide content among the foods analyzed to date. Furthermore, the supersulfide profiling and quantitative supersulfide metabolomics revealed that the total supersulfide content dramatically increased during the germination and growth of broccoli sprouts and that CysS2H and cysteine hydrotrisulfide were the predominant organic supersulfide metabolites. Interestingly, by untargeted supersulfide omics analysis, a variety of unknown supersulfide candidates were detected in the broccoli sprouts. These results suggest that intake of supersulfides from foods such as broccoli sprouts may contribute to the reported health-promoting effects. In addition, further studies to identify novel supersulfides in foods and to investigate their physiological and pharmacological effects will shed new light on the field of food science, contributing to discovering novel drug seeds and developing functional foods.
