Department
Biology
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-17-2014
Abstract
The pungent natural compound allyl isothiocyanate isolated from the seeds of Cru-ciferous (Brassica) plants such as mustard is reported to exhibit numerous beneficialhealth-promoting antimicrobial, antifungal, anticarcinogenic, cardioprotective, and neu-roprotective properties. Because it is also reported to damage DNA and is toxic to aquaticorganisms, the objective of the present study was to determine whether it possesses tera-togenic properties. The frog embryo teratogenesis assay-Xenopus (FETAX) was used todetermine the following measures of developmental toxicity of the allyl isothiocyanate:(a) 96-h LC50, defined as the median concentration causing 50% embryo lethality; (b) 96-h EC50, defined as the median concentration causing 50% malformations of the survivingembryos; and (c) teratogenic malformation index (TI), equal to 96-h LC50/96-h EC50. Thequantitative results and the photographs of embryos before and after exposure suggest thatallyl isothiocyanate seems to exhibit moderate teratogenic properties. The results also indi-cate differences in the toxicity of allyl isothiocyanate toward exposed embryos observedin the present study compared to reported adverse effects of allyl isothiocyanate in fish,rodents, and humans. The significance of the results for food safety and possible approachesto protect against adverse effects of allyl isothiocyanate are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Williams, John Russell; Rayburn, James R.; Cline, George R.; Sauterer, Roger; and Friedman, Mendel, "Effect of Allyl Isothiocyanate on Developmental Toxicity in Exposed Xenopus Laevis Embryos" (2014). Research, Publications & Creative Work. 51.
https://digitalcommons.jsu.edu/fac_res/51
Publication/Presentation Information
Williams, J.R., et al. (2015). Effect of allyl isothiocyanate on developmental toxicity inexposed Xenopus laevis embryos. Toxicology Reports 2(2015): 222-237.