Host: The Japanese Society of Toxicology
Name : The 51st Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Toxicology
Date : July 03, 2024 - July 05, 2024
Sulfur is an essential element for all living organisms. The ancient Egyptians seem to grasp the health-promoting properties of garlic and onions and utilize these vegetables in their daily lives. Plants of Allium, such as garlic and onions, and of Brassica, such as broccoli and cabbage, are known for the abundance in sulfur-containing compounds, and scientific studies have shown that daily consumption of these vegetables can contribute to prevention of a variety of diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer, neurodegenerative diseases. However, the detailed mechanism of how food-derived sulfur-containing compounds are metabolized in vivo and how they contribute to human health promotion and disease prevention remains unknown.
Recently, with the development of novel techniques for quantification of sulfur-containing metabolites, it has been discovered that molecules with a linear chain of catenated sulfur atoms, collectively called "supersulfides", are endogenously produced by a mechanism that is conserved across a wide range of species, from prokaryotes to eukaryotes, including human. It has been demonstrated that supersulfides function as potent radical scavengers and play important roles in redox signaling regulation via their unique chemical properties. On the other hand, due to their strong reactivity, supersulfides are easily oxidized and decomposed in the sample preparation process, and therefore, it is essential to pay careful attention for reproducible analysis. In my talk, I will outline the unique chemical properties of supersulfides and the points to be considered when analyzing the reactive substances and will introduce supersulfide omics analysis techniques we have recently established and discuss the potential of exploring functional food ingredients focusing on supersulfides and the issues that need to be addressed in the future.
