Neuroprotective Effects of Glucosinolates

Oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, inflammation, misfolded proteins, and neuronal loss are common characteristics of a wide range of chronic neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. For these disorders, the current healthcare outcomes are considered inadequate; in fact these pathologies are treated after onset of the disease, frequently at near end-stages, and pessimistic prognosis considers pandemic scenario for these disorders over the next 10–20 years. Phytochemicals have been regarded as an alternative and preventive therapeutic strategy to control the occurrence and progression of neurodegenerative diseases. Recent research has shown that dietary phytochemicals have pleiotropic behaviors, exerting antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective effects in neuronal and glial cells. In particular, isothiocyanates, the activated form of glucosinolates present in Brassica vegetables, have shown neuroprotective activity in several experimental paradigms due to their peculiar ability to activate the Nrf2/ARE pathway, playing a role in boosting the neuronal natural phase 2 enzyme antioxidant defense system and functioning as a powerful indirect antioxidant. This chapter summarizes the preventive glucosinolate-derived isothiocyanates effects in neurodegeneration and underscores the powerful preventive role that these compounds play in assisting the body to help fend off a variety of neurodegenerative diseases.