http://www.paper.edu.cn REVIEW Bioactive S-alk(en)yl cysteine sulfoxide metabolites in the genus www.rsc.org/npr Allium: the chemistry of potential therapeutic agents NPR Peter Rose,*a Matt Whiteman,a Philip K. Mooreb and Yi Zhun Zhu*b a Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, 8 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597. E-mail:
[email protected]; Fax: (65)-6779-1453; Tel: (65)-6874-4996 b Department of Pharmacology, National University of Singapore, 18 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597. E-mail:
[email protected]; Fax: (65)-6773-7690; Tel: (65)-6874-3676 Received (in Cambridge, UK) 30th March 2005 First published as an Advance Article on the web 10th May 2005 Covering: 1892 to 2004 S-Alk(en)yl cysteine sulfoxides are odourless, non-protein sulfur amino acids typically found in members of the family Alliaceae and are the precursors to the lachrymatory and flavour compounds found in the agronomically important genus Allium. Traditionally, Allium species, particularly the onion (Allium cepa) and garlic (A. sativum), have been used for centuries in European, Asian and American folk medicines for the treatment of numerous human pathologies, however it is only recently that any significant progress has been made in determining their mechanisms of action. Indeed, our understanding of the role of Allium species in human health undoubtedly comes from the combination of several academic disciplines including botany, biochemistry and nutrition. During tissue damage, S-alk(en)yl cysteine sulfoxides are converted to their respective thiosulfinates or propanethial-S-oxide by the action of the enzyme alliinase (EC 4.4.1.4).