Di Giacomo Claudia, Malfa Giuseppe Antonio, Tomasello Barbara, Bianchi Simone, Acquaviva Rosaria
Department of Drug and Health Sciences, University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy.
Research Centre on Nutraceuticals and Health Products (CERNUT), University of Catania, Viale A. Doria 6, 95125 Catania, Italy.
Antioxidants (Basel). 2023 Jul 18;12(7):1445. doi: 10.3390/antiox12071445.
The tripeptide glutathione plays important roles in many cell processes, including differentiation, proliferation, and apoptosis; in fact, disorders in glutathione homeostasis are involved both in the etiology and in the progression of several human diseases, including cancer. Natural compounds have been found to modulate glutathione levels and function beyond their role as mere antioxidants. For example, certain compounds can upregulate the expression of glutathione-related enzymes, increase the availability of cysteine, the limiting amino acid for glutathione synthesis, or directly interact with glutathione and modulate its function. These compounds may have therapeutic potential in a variety of disease states where glutathione dysregulation is a contributing factor. On the other hand, flavonoids' potential to deplete glutathione levels could be significant for cancer treatment. Overall, while natural compounds may have potential therapeutic and/or preventive properties and may be able to increase glutathione levels, more research is needed to fully understand their mechanisms of action and their potential benefits for the prevention and treatment of several diseases. In this review, particular emphasis will be placed on phytochemical compounds belonging to the class of polyphenols, terpenoids, and glucosinolates that have an impact on glutathione-related processes, both in physiological and pathological conditions. These classes of secondary metabolites represent the most food-derived bioactive compounds that have been intensively explored and studied in the last few decades.
三肽谷胱甘肽在许多细胞过程中发挥着重要作用，包括分化、增殖和凋亡；事实上，谷胱甘肽稳态紊乱与包括癌症在内的几种人类疾病的病因和进展都有关。已发现天然化合物不仅作为单纯的抗氧化剂发挥作用，还能调节谷胱甘肽水平和功能。例如，某些化合物可上调谷胱甘肽相关酶的表达，增加半胱氨酸（谷胱甘肽合成的限制性氨基酸）的可用性，或直接与谷胱甘肽相互作用并调节其功能。这些化合物在谷胱甘肽失调是一个促成因素的多种疾病状态下可能具有治疗潜力。另一方面，黄酮类化合物降低谷胱甘肽水平的潜力对癌症治疗可能具有重要意义。总体而言，虽然天然化合物可能具有潜在的治疗和/或预防特性，并且可能能够提高谷胱甘肽水平，但需要更多研究来充分了解它们的作用机制以及它们对几种疾病预防和治疗的潜在益处。在本综述中，将特别强调属于多酚、萜类和硫代葡萄糖苷类的植物化学化合物，它们在生理和病理条件下都会对谷胱甘肽相关过程产生影响。这些次生代谢物类别代表了过去几十年中经过深入探索和研究的最主要的食物来源生物活性化合物。
