Research on cruciferous vegetables, indole-3-carbinol, and cancer prevention: A tribute to Lee W. Wattenberg

Naomi Fujioka, Vincent Fritz, Pramod Upadhyaya, Fekadu Kassie, Stephen S. Hecht

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

68 Scopus citations

Abstract

Lee W. Wattenberg, who spent his entire career at the University of Minnesota, was a true pioneer in the field of chemoprevention. This paper is a tribute to his groundbreaking research which uncovered the cancer prevention properties of many dietary compounds, including those discussed here in some detail–indole-3-carbinol and diindolylmethane. These compounds occur as glucosinolate conjugates in cruciferous vegetables and are released when one chews or otherwise macerates the vegetable. They have numerous beneficial effects including the ability to prevent cancer in laboratory animals treated with carcinogens. We review some of the early work on indole-3-carbinol and diindolylmethane which spurred subsequent studies on their efficacy and molecular mechanisms of prevention. We also present unique data on field conditions that affect levels of their glucosinolate precursors in vegetables and on the release of diindolylmethane in people who consume cruciferous vegetables.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1228-1238
Number of pages11
JournalMolecular Nutrition and Food Research
Volume60
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 1 2016

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Keywords

  • Chemoprevention
  • Cruciferous vegetables
  • Diindolylmethane
  • Glucobrassican
  • Indole-3-carbinol

PubMed: MeSH publication types

  • Journal Article
  • Review
  • Portrait

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