Role of the glucosinolates in cancer epigenetics

It has been known for years that diet impacts human health, including the risk of cancer development. Food components can both increase and reduce the risk of carcinogenesis. Thereby, a wisely composed diet can extend life span and improve life quality. The favourable effect on health exert glucosinolates (GSLs), a group of secondary plant metabolites found in vegetables of the Brassicaceae family, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and kohlrabi. Hydrolysis of GSLs results in the formation of compounds, like sulforaphane (SFN), phenylethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) and 3,3′-Diindolylmethane (DIM), which are known for versatile anti-cancer activity. This review highlights advances on the role of the chosen GSLs on selected epigenetic mechanisms, i.e. DNA methylation, histone acetylation and microRNAs expression in cancer treatment.