Scientific Research
Wasabi Pharmacology
The components of Wasabia japonica are known to have many pharmacological effects. Among them, wasabi has been claimed to exert anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties through unknown molecular mechanisms. For example, oral ingestion of wasabi causes a transient burning sensation in the nose, producing a decongestant effect.
Anti-Inflammatory Studies
A number of studies have indicated that wasabi could be a potential medicinal product that shares pharmacological properties with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. 6-MITC (6-methylsulfinyhexyl isothiocyanate) is an effective agent to attenuate COX-2 production (Uto et al., 2005). It suppresses prostaglandin synthesis through inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2. Many studies investigated the anti-cancer effect of wasabi but no real study have been published regarding the anti-inflammatory effects of ITCs (isothiocyanates) of wasabi although chronic inflammation and carcinogenesis are thought to be mechanistically linked.
Cancer Research
Transfection studies demonstrated that the induction of transcription of the quinone oxidoreductase gene by 6-MITC involved an antioxidant/electrophile-responsive element (ARE/EpRE) activation. Results suggest a novel mechanism by which dietary wasabi and 6-MITC may be implicated in cancer chemoprevention (De-Xing, 2000). Researchers at Nagoya University found 6-MITC to be a potent inducer of glutathione S-transferase, an important Phase II detoxification enzyme Morimitsu et al., 2000). 6-MITC has also been shown to inhibit in vitro cell proliferation in human leukemia and stomach cancer cells by promoting apoptosis (Watanabe et al., 2003; Xu and Thornalley 2003). Others studies have shown that 6-MITC is easily absorbed and can enter the circulatory system at its maximum level within 30 minutes stimulate glutathione S-transferase for extended periods. Additional experiments have found that isothiocyanates inhibit rat lung, esophagus, mammary gland, liver, small intestine, colon, and bladder tumorigenesis (Hecht, 1995). These results have led researchers to consider isothiocyanates to be readily available cancer chemopreventive agents.
References
Hecht SS. Chemoprevention by isothiocyanates. J Cell Biochem Suppl. 1995; 22: 195-209.
Hou De-Xing, Fukuda Masahiro, Fudji Makoto, Fuke Yoko. Transcriptional regulation of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate: quinone oxidoreductase in murine hepatoma cells by 6-(methylsufinyl)hexyl isothiocyanate, an active principle of wasabi (Eutrema wasabi Maxim) Cancer letters 2000, vol. 161, no2, pp. 195-200
Jakubikova J, Sedlak J, Bod'o J, Bao Y. Effect of isothiocyanates on nuclear accumulation of NF-kappaB, Nrf2, and thioredoxin in caco-2 cells. J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Mar 8; 54(5):1656-62.
Miyoshi N., Takabayashi, S., Osawa T, and Nakamura Y.
Benzyl isothiocyanate inhibits excessive superoxide generation in inflammatory leukocytes: implication for prevention against inflammation-related carcinogenesis
Carcinogenesis, April 1, 2004; 25(4): 567 - 575.
Morimitsu Y, Hayashi K, Nakagawa Y, Horio F, Uchida K, Osawa T. Antiplatelet and anticancer isothiocyanates in Japanese domestic horseradish, wasabi. Biofactors. 2000;13(1-4):271-6.
Ohta Y, Yamaki K, Osawa T, Kawakishi S. Effects of isothiocyanates on tumor necrosis factor-alpha production by J774A.1 (BALB/c macrophage) cells. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2004 Jun;68( 6) :1375-8.
Rose P, Won YK, Ong CN, Whiteman M.. Beta-phenylethyl and 8-methylsulphinyloctyl isothiocyanates, constituents of watercress, suppress LPS induced production of nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 in RAW 264.7 macrophages. Nitric Oxide. 2005 Jun;12 (4):237-43.
Uto T, Fujii M, Hou DX. Inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced cyclooxygenase-2 transcription by 6-(methylsulfinyl) hexyl isothiocyanate, a chemopreventive compound from Wasabia japonica (Miq.) Matsumura, in mouse macrophages. Biochem Pharmacol. 2005 Dec 5;70(12):1772-84. Epub 2005 Oct 27.
Watanabe M, Ohata M, Hayakawa S, et al. Identification of 6-methylsulfinyhexyl isothiocyanate as an apoptosis-inducing component in wasabi. Phytochemistry. 2003 Mar; 62(5):733-9.
Xu K, Thornalley PJ. Studies on the mechanism of the inhibition of human leukaemia cell growth by dietary isothiocyanates and their cysteine adducts in vitro. Biochem Pharmacol. 2000 Jul 15;60(2):221-31.
