Phytochemicals
In Your
Wasabi Bowl
Ingredients in the Wasabi Bowl
•Wasabi Paste
•Ginger
•Soy Sauce
Wasabi, Ginger and Soy Sauce
1. Growth and Preparation
2. Phytochemicals in the Plant
3. Health Benefits
4. Biological Activity
5. Molecular Mechanisms
WASABI
•Wasabia Japonicus
•Member of Brasseceria or Cruciferae family
•Related to cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower
•Native to Japan
•Grows naturally in cool mountain streams
•Cultivated aquatically
•Cultivars are daruma wasabi and mazuma wasabi
The Wasabi rhizome is traditionally grated
with a tool made of sharkskin or with a metal
tool known as an oroshigane.
Wasabi Paste
This is NOT guacamole!!
Health Benefits Of Wasabi
•Anti-carcinogenic Activity
•Anti-tumorogenic Activity
•Inhibition of Metastasis
•Inhibition of Platelet Aggregation
Isothiocyanates
General Structure
Formed by the substitution of sulfur for oxygen in the ISOCYANTE group.
Isothiocyanates generally act as
electrophiles with the carbon
atom as the electrophilic center.
Allyl isothiocyanate
•Formed in wasabi when processed
•Responsible for pungent taste
•Defense against herbivores
Anticarcinogenic Activity
•Isothiocyantes in general
•Inhibition of Cytochrome P450 Enzyme
•Reduced production of RAS species
•Reduction in cell damage and cancer-causing
•mutations
Antitumorogenic Activity
•
Phenethyl isothiocyanate
•
Induction of apoptosis in cancer
cells
•
Useful in Chemo-resistant cells
Inhibition of Metastasis
•
6-(methylsulfinyl) hexyl isothiocyanate
•
B16-BL6 melanoma innoculated
in mouse lung tissue
•
82 % reduction in pulmonary metastasis
when administered prior to inoculation
Inhibition of Platelet Aggregation
•6-(methylsulfinyl) hexyl isothiocyanate
•Highly reactive with sulfhydrl (-SH) groups in biomolecules,
such as GSH and systeine residues
•In-vitro studies
Ginger
• Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is a monocotyledonous
perennial.
• It grows in warm humid climates.
• The rhizome is the part used for culinary and medicinal
purposes.
• Commonly found in Southeast Asia, India, Africa, and the
West Indies.
Chemistry
• Ginger contains up to 3% of an essential oil causes the
fragrance of the spice.
• The components to which the pungency of ginger can
be attributed are gingerols, shogaols and zingerone.
• Gingerols are present in raw ginger .
• Shogaols, dehydration products of gingerols, are
present in steamed ginger.
• Zingerone, which is a degradation product of gingerol
and has no carbon side chains, is present in heated or
roasted ginger.
Available Forms
• Ginger is available in extracts, tinctures,
capsules, oils and fresh.
• Ginger is also a common cooking spice and
can be found in a variety of foods and
drinks.
Beneficial Effects on Health
• Pregnancy Related Nausea and Vomiting
• Nausea and Vomiting following Gynecological
Laparoscopy
• Reduction of Inflammation
• Anti-Cancer
• Blood Sugar and Cholesterol Management
• Antioxidant
• Weight Loss
• Motion Sickness
• Chemotherapy-related Nausea
Mechanism of Action
•
•
•
•
•
Antiemetic
Anti-inflammatory
Analgesic
Antiplatelet
Antioxidant
Antiemetic Actions
• In animal studies, ginger produced antispasmodic effects
and exhibited anticholinergic and antihistaminic action.
• Ginger increases salivation and stimulates intestinal
motility through increased tone and peristalsis of the
intestines in humans.
• Galanolactone, a diterpenoid constituent of ginger,
demonstrated activity as a 5HT3 antagonist in vitro.
• Receptors for 5HT3 are located on intestinal vagal nerve
terminal and in the chemoreceptor trigger zone.
Anti-inflammatory Actions
• Ginger inhibits thromboxane synthesize and is a
prostacyclin agonist.Prostaglandins induce vasodilation
and increase tissue permeability, which, in turn, promote
the influx of fluids and leukocytes.
• Ginger antiinflammatory effects is through the inhibition
of prostaglandin and leukotriene biosynthesis.
• Through this dual inhibition of eicosanoid biosynthesis,
ginger decreases capillary permeability, thus reducing
swelling and the influx of inflammatory mediators.
Analgesic Actions
• The analgesic property of ginger is thought to be mainly a
result of peripheral actions but direct effects on the CNS
are possible. By inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis, ginger
decreases the perception of pain.
Antiplatelet Activity
•
•
•
Several pungent constituents of ginger, are reported to
inhibit arachidonic acid (AA) induced platelet activation
in humans.
The constituent (8)-paradol is the most potent inhibitor
of COX-1 and exhibits the greatest anti-platelet activity
versus other gingerol analogues.
The mechanism of ginger- associated platelet inhibition
may be related to decrease COX-1/Thoboxane synthase
enzymatic activity.
Antioxidant Activity
• The constituents on the alkyl chain might contribute to
both radical scavenging effect and inhibitory effect of
autoxidation of oils.
• The antioxidant activity might be due to not only radical
scavenging activity of antioxidants but also their affinity of
the antioxidants to the substrates.
SOY SAUCE
• Authentic soy sauces
are mixed with yeast,
the mold Aspergillus
oryzae or Apergillus
sojae and other related
microorganisms
• Fermented in machinecontrolled
environments
HEALTH BENEFITS
• ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY- Chinese dark soy sauce
• Soy sauce does not contain the beneficial ISOFLAVONES
associated with other soy products
• Processing (fermentation) decreases isoflavone content
Antioxidant Activity
•Researchers from the National University of Singapore, have
reported that dark soy sauce has an antioxidant activity 150
times that of vitamins C and E, and ten times that of wine.
A recent study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
(Vol. 83, pp. 244-251) reported that soy proteins and not
isoflavones were responsible for lowering serum lipid levels
and are responsible for the cardiovascular benefits.
SOYBEANS
•Native to East Asia
• 55% of World Production in US
•Brazil, Argentina, China
Health Claims
•Lower Cholesterol/Reduce CVD
risk
•Alleviate Menopausal Symptoms
•Reduce Osteoporosis
ISOFLAVONES
•Related to flavonoids
•Act as phytoestrogens
•Strong antioxidants
•Polyphenoic compounds
• Major isoflavones in soybeans are genistein and daidzein
The chemical structure of the isoflavone
backbone (3-phenyl-4H-1-benzopyr-4one)
Cholesterol Reduction
•Early reports (pre-1995) may have been overly positive showing
lowered LDL levels up to 13%
•2006 review of 22 randomized controlled trials concluded
•that substituting 50 g/d of soy protein for animal lowered LDL
•Cholesterol by only about 3%
•2003-Study shows that soy isoflavones do not appear to have
much effect on serum lipid profiles
Estrogenic and Anti-Estrogenic Activities
•
Isoflavones and other phytoestrogens can bind to
estrogen receptors
They mimic the effects of estrogen in some tissue
They antagonize (block) the effects of estrogen in other
tissues
•In reproductive tissue, anti-estrogenic effect may reduce risk of
•cancers related to hormones, such as breast, uterine and prostrate
•Estrogenic effects in bone may help maintain bone density
•Estrogenic effects may lower serum cholesterol in blood
•Modest reduction in hot flashes associated with menopause
Reduction of Osteoporosis
•Trials involving markers of bone formation and resorption
show inconsistent results
•More research needed to determine if soy can reduce
loss of Bone Mass Density-many variables
Summary
WASABI
-ISOTHIOCYANATES
• Anticarcinogenic,
• Antitumorogenic,
• Inhibition of metastasis
• Inhibition of platelet aggregation
GINGER
- PHENOLS (GINGEROL, SHAGAOL)
• Antiemetic
• Anti-inflammatory
• Analgesic
• Anti Platelet Aggregation
• Antioxidant
SOY SAUCE
-< Decreased amount of Isoflavones found in soy sauce due
to fermentation in processing