RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Comparison of the Apoptosis-inducing Capability of Sulforaphane Analogues in Human Colon Cancer Cells JF Anticancer Research JO Anticancer Res FD International Institute of Anticancer Research SP 3611 OP 3619 VO 30 IS 9 A1 KIM, MIN JUNG A1 KIM, SO HEE A1 LIM, SOO-JEONG YR 2010 UL http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/30/9/3611.abstract AB The anticancer activity of sulforaphane is known to be mediated at least partly by apoptosis induction and associated with the presence of the –N=C=S moiety. The present study explored how oxidation of sulphur in the side chain of sulforaphane affected apoptosis induction to provide the chemical basis of sulforaphane effects. Sulforaphane analogues containing oxidised sulphur (alyssin, sulforaphane, erysolin and alyssin sulfone) exerted a superior growth inhibitory effect compared with sulforaphane analogues with nonoxidised sulphur (erucin and berteroin) in human colon cancer cell lines. Furthermore, erysolin was a more potent inducer of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptosis compared with erucin. Erysolin-induced ROS generation and subsequent apoptosis were inhibited by pretreatment with the antioxidant N-acetyl-cysteine. Erysolin induced caspase-8 activation, while blockade of caspsase 8 activation inhibited apoptosis induced by erysolin. Taken together, sulforaphane analogues with oxidised sulphur were the most efficient apoptosis inducers, likely due to high-level ROS induction.