THE BIOCHEMICAL AND MOLECULAR ORIGINS OF ALIPHATIC GLUCOSINOLATE DIVERSITY IN ARAB1DOPS1S THALIANA

摘要

Glucosinolates are a diverse class of secondary metabolites found principally in plants of the order Brassicales (formerly Capparales).1 Many agriculturally important plants are found in this order, and glucosinolates contribute both positively as well as negatively to human uses of these plants.2 As a consequence, efforts to understand and manipulate glucosinolate composition have attracted many researchers. For example, nearly 40 years ago, Canadian researchers developed Canola, a rapeseed type with low glucosinolate levels in the seed that reduced the adverse goitrogenic potential of the oil and residual seed meal, making these available for food production and animal feed production, respectively. More recently, the benefits of glucosinolates have been recognized in studies of cover crops for use as green manures or soil fumigants. The organoleplic characteristics of some glucosinolates contribute to the flavors associated with brassicaceous vegetables, including cabbage, kale, broccoli, and radish and make them the principals in condiments such as mustard, horseradish, and wasabi/ These crop species have often been bred for modified glucosinolate levels. With a broader understanding of biosynthesis, more sophisticated manipulations of plant glucosinolate composition can be anticipated. For example, individual glucosinolates have been implicated as precursors of effective cancer prevention agents that act by inducing the synthesis of a set of enzymes in humans that can detoxify potential carcinogens.6 Thus, the health benefits of eating brassicaceous vegetables could be enhanced by altering glucosinolate quantity and composition.