Phenethyl isothiocyanate / TGF-β1 Cancer Research Results

PEITC, Phenethyl isothiocyanate: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) is a naturally occurring small-molecule phytochemical best known for its role in cancer chemoprevention research. It belongs to the isothiocyanate class of organosulfur compounds and has the chemical formula C₉H₉NS.
Source: Derived from glucosinolates in cruciferous vegetables
PEITC in plants exists mainly as the glucosinolate precursor (gluconasturtiin). Upon tissue disruption (chewing, chopping), myrosinase converts gluconasturtiin → PEITC.
-PEITC bioavailability from fresh, chopped microgreens is high
-Co-consumption with other isothiocyanates is additive/synergistic
-Peak plasma levels: ~1–3 hours post-consumption
-Half-life: ~4–6 hours
-Generally well tolerated up to 40 mg/day (mild GI irritation at higher dose)

PEITC is best characterized for its dual role in xenobiotic metabolism:
Inhibition of Phase I enzymes
-Suppresses cytochrome P450 enzymes (e.g., CYP1A1, CYP2E1)
-Reduces activation of pro-carcinogens

-Selectively depletes GSH in cancer cells
-Directly increases ROS beyond buffering capacity

Key pathways in cancer cells
-GSH depletion
-Mitochondrial ROS amplification
-ASK1/JNK apoptosis

Chemo relevance
-Frequently chemo-sensitizing
-Opposite of NAC/GSH

Induction of Phase II enzymes
-Activates NRF2–KEAP1 signaling
-Increases expression of detoxification and antioxidant enzymes such as:
 -Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs)
 -NAD(P)H quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1)
 -Heme oxygenase-1 (HMOX1)

In preclinical systems, PEITC has been shown to:
-Deplete intracellular glutathione (GSH), increasing oxidative stress in cancer cells
-Induce mitochondrial dysfunction and apoptosis
-Inhibit histone deacetylases (HDACs) (context-dependent)
-Suppress pro-survival signaling pathways (e.g., STAT3, NF-κB)
-Target cancer stem–like cells in some models

Dietary origins

PEITC present in vegetables such as:
-Watercress (the richest source)
-Broccoli
-Cabbage
-Brussels sprouts
-Radish

Bioavailability depends on:
-Food preparation
-Gut microbiota (myrosinase activity if plant enzyme is inactive)

watercress microgreens generally have higher PEITC (and/or its precursor gluconasturtiin) per gram than mature watercress.
-The enrichment is most pronounced per unit fresh weight in the 7–14 day window.
-Absolute values vary substantially with cultivar, light intensity, sulfur/nitrogen nutrition, and post-harvest handling.
| Growth stage    |      Age | PEITC potential (mg / 100 g FW) |         Relative |
| --------------- | -------: | ------------------------------: | ---------------: |
| **Microgreens** |   7–10 d |                     **3.0–6.0** | **~2–4×** mature |
| **Microgreens** |  11–14 d |                     **2.5–5.0** |            ~2–3× |
| Baby leaf       |  21–28 d |                         1.5–3.0 |            ~1–2× |
| Mature leaf     | 35–45+ d |                         0.8–1.5 |         baseline |

Dry weight basis
| Growth stage          | PEITC potential (mg / g DW) |
| --------------------- | --------------------------: |
| Microgreens (7–10 d)  |                 **1.8–3.5** |
| Microgreens (11–14 d) |                     1.5–3.0 |
| Mature leaf           |                     0.6–1.2 |

Expect 2–5× variability depending on:
-Light spectrum (blue light ↑ glucosinolates)
-Sulfur availability

Practical optimization tips
Lighting
-12–16 h/day
-150–300 µmol/m²/s PAR (typical shop LEDs at 20–30 cm distance)
Soil
-Peat or peat-blend preferred
-Avoid over-watering (dilutes concentration)
Nutrition (optional but effective)
-One light watering with ¼-strength sulfate-containing fertilizer around day 4–5 can increase PEITC ~15–30%
Harvest & use
-Cut, rest 5–10 minutes, then consume (allows myrosinase to fully convert gluconasturtiin → PEITC)

Dose: (100 g fresh microgreens ≈ 2–4 mg bioavailable PEITC)
-ie below doses are not really acheivable from fresh microgreens
Minimum biologically active dose (humans): ~10–15 mg PEITC/day
Common efficacy range used in human trials: 20–40 mg/day
Upper short-term doses studied (generally tolerated): 60 mg/day
Diet-achievable with watercress microgreens: Yes, at realistic portions
These doses are chemopreventive / pathway-modulating, not cytotoxic chemotherapy.
| PEITC dose (mg/day) | Dominant biological effects                     |
| ------------------: | ----------------------------------------------- |
|         **5–10 mg** | Phase II enzymes, mild NRF2                     |
|        **10–20 mg** | HDAC inhibition, ROS signaling                  |
|        **20–40 mg** | Apoptosis, cell-cycle arrest, anti-inflammatory |
|        **40–60 mg** | Strong redox stress in cancer cells             |
|              >60 mg | Limited data; GI irritation risk                |



Rank Pathway / Target Axis Direction Primary Effect Notes / Cancer Relevance Ref
1 GSH / thiol buffering (PEITC–GSH conjugation → GSH depletion) ↓ GSH Upstream redox collapse PEITC drives a GSH-iron-ROS axis; GSH depletion is upstream of multiple death programs (ref)
2 ROS accumulation ↑ ROS Oxidative stress trigger PEITC increases intracellular ROS, which then drives mitochondrial disruption and apoptosis (ref)
3 Ferroptosis (lipid peroxidation; anti-ferroptotic machinery overwhelmed) ↑ ferroptosis Iron-dependent oxidative death Direct evidence that PEITC induces ferroptosis (alongside other death programs) via GSH-iron-ROS mechanisms (ref)
4 Mitochondrial integrity (ΔΨm; cytochrome-c release) ↓ ΔΨm / ↑ cytochrome-c release Mitochondrial dysfunction PEITC promotes ROS, decreases ΔΨm, increases cytochrome-c release in cancer cells (ref)
5 Intrinsic apoptosis (caspase-9 → caspase-3) ↑ caspase activation / ↑ apoptosis Execution-phase cell death PEITC activates caspase-9 and caspase-3 and induces apoptosis downstream of mitochondrial dysfunction (ref)
6 Akt → JNK → Mcl-1 axis ↓ Akt / ↑ JNK / ↓ Mcl-1 Pro-survival signaling collapse Leukemia study: PEITC-initiated death is linked to Akt inactivation → JNK activation → Mcl-1 downregulation (ref)
7 NF-κB signaling ↓ NF-κB transcriptional activity / ↓ p65 nuclear translocation Reduced pro-survival / inflammatory transcription PEITC inhibits NF-κB activity and NF-κB–regulated genes (e.g., cyclin D1, VEGF, Bcl-xL) in prostate cancer cells (ref)
8 JAK–STAT3 signaling ↓ STAT3 activation Reduced survival / growth signaling PEITC inhibits IL-6–driven JAK–STAT3 activation in prostate cancer cells (STAT3 signaling direction shown) (ref)
9 Cell-cycle regulation ↑ G2/M arrest Proliferation blockade PEITC inhibits proliferation and induces G2/M cell-cycle arrest in prostate cancer cells (ref)
10 Autophagy program ↑ autophagy Stress response (can interact with death) PEITC induces autophagy along with ferroptosis and apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells (ref)
11 Migration / invasion (MMPs, FAK, RhoA) ↓ migration & invasion / ↓ MMPs Anti-metastatic phenotype PEITC suppresses migration/invasion and downregulates MMP-2/-7/-9 and motility regulators (FAK, RhoA) (ref)
12 In vivo anti-tumor effect ↓ tumor burden / ↑ survival (model-dependent) Demonstrated efficacy in animal model Leukemia study reports PEITC anti-leukemic activity including mechanistic signaling changes and in vivo efficacy evidence (ref)


TGF-β1, Transforming Growth Factor-Beta 1: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
TGF-β1 is one of three TGF-β ligands (β1, β2, β3) that initiate the TGF-β signaling cascade.
In the context of cancer, TGF-β1 plays a dual role:
Tumor Suppressor in Early Stages: In normal and early-stage tumor cells, TGF-β1 typically inhibits cell proliferation, induces apoptosis, and maintains tissue homeostasis.
Tumor Promoter in Advanced Stages: As cancer progresses, TGF-β1 often promotes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), enhances invasiveness, contributes to immune evasion, and fosters a pro-metastatic microenvironment.

Role in Early Tumorigenesis: Acts as a tumor suppressor via growth arrest and apoptosis.
Role in Advanced Cancers: Promotes EMT, invasion, metastasis, and immune suppression.
Expression in Cancer Types: Increased in advanced/ aggressive tumors in many cancer types.
Prognostic Implications Elevated TGF-β1: associated with poor prognosis in several cancers due to its pro-tumorigenic functions.
Therapeutic Targeting Blocking TGF-β1 activity (via antibodies or ligand traps) to reduce its tumor-promoting actions.


Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
4926- PEITC,    PEITC inhibits the invasion and migration of colorectal cancer cells by blocking TGF-β-induced EMT
- in-vitro, CRC, SW48
TumCI↓, TumCMig↓, EMT↓, Smad1↓, AntiCan↑, Snail↓, Slug↓, Zeb1↓, ZEB2↓, TGF-β1↓, eff↑, E-cadherin↑, N-cadherin↓, Vim↓,

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 1 of 1

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 1

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State

EMT↓, 1,  

Migration

E-cadherin↑, 1,   N-cadherin↓, 1,   Slug↓, 1,   Smad1↓, 1,   Snail↓, 1,   TGF-β1↓, 1,   TumCI↓, 1,   TumCMig↓, 1,   Vim↓, 1,   Zeb1↓, 1,   ZEB2↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

eff↑, 1,  

Functional Outcomes

AntiCan↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 14

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Total Targets: 0

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: TGF-β1, Transforming Growth Factor-Beta 1
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells
Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:388  Target#:1099  State#:%  Dir#:1
wNotes=0 sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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