A Whiff of Sulfur: One Wind a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

Antioxidants

Ahmad Yaman Abdin¹  Claus Jacob¹  Markus Alexander Lämmermann¹  Eduard Tiganescu¹  Yannick Ney¹  Muhammad Jawad Nasim¹ 

[1] Division of Bioorganic Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Saarland University, D-66123 Saarbruecken, Germany;

关键词: allicin;    allyl methyl sulfide (AMS);    broccoli;    cellular thiolstat;    durian;    garlic;   

DOI  :  10.3390/antiox11061036

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Reactive Sulfur Species (RSS), such as allicin from garlic or sulforaphane from broccoli, are fre-quently associated with biological activities and possible health benefits in animals and humans. Among these Organic Sulfur Compounds (OSCs) found in many plants and fungi, the Volatile Sulfur Compounds (VSCs) feature prominently, not only because of their often-pungent smell, but also because they are able to access places which solids and solutions cannot reach that easily. Indeed, inorganic RSS such as hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂) can be used to lit-erally fumigate entire rooms and areas. Similarly, metabolites of garlic, such as allyl methyl sulfide (AMS), are formed metabolically in humans in lower concentrations and reach the airways from inside the body as part of one’s breath. Curiously, H₂S is also formed in the gastrointestinal tract by gut bacteria, and the question of if and for which purpose this gas then crosses the barriers and enters the body is indeed a delicate matter for equally delicate studies. In any case, nature is surprisingly rich in such VSCs, as fruits (for instance, the infamous durian) demonstrate, and therefore these VSCs represent a promising group of compounds for further studies.

【 授权许可】

Unknown