CJFST.2021.13.2.04

Original scientific paper                                                                                                                                                  DOI: 10.17508/CJFST.2021.13.2.04

Comparison of gastrointestinal stability of isothiocyanates from Tropaeolum Majus L. Altum using in vitro and ex vivo digestion methods

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9762-4757Ivana Vrca, Franko Burčul, Ivica Blažević, Andre Bratanić, Tea Bilušić

1University of Split, Faculty of Chemistry and Technology, Ruđera Boškovića 35, 21 000 Split, Croatia
2Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Split, Spinčićeva 1, 21000 Split, Croatia

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT
Article history:
Received: December 2, 2020
Accepted: February 11, 2021
Tropaeolum majus L. is an annual herbaceous plant and a member of the Tropaeolaceae family, which belongs to the Brassicales order. It is an excellent source of flavonoids, carotenoids, phenolic acids, vitamin C, and it is a plant that contains the glucosinolate glucotropaeolin. The major degradation product of glucotropaeolin is benzyl isothiocyanate which is known for its various biological activities. In this study, an essential oil was isolated from the seeds of the Tropaeolum majus L. altum plant by microwave-assisted distillation and analysed using the GC-MS technique. Two compounds were identified, benzyl isothiocyanate as the major one (97.81%), and 2-phenylacetonitrile as a minor one (0.80%).
Tropaeolum majus L. altum essential oil and pure benzyl isothiocyanate were then submitted to the two-phase in vitro and ex vivo digestion simulations. The analysis performed by the GC-MS/MS technique showed greater stability of benzyl isothiocyanate from essential oil after in vitro (97.57%), and ex vivo (73.47%) gastric phases of the simulated digestion methods, compared to its stability after in vitro (71.17%) and ex vivo (54.90%) intestinal phases. A similar trend was shown for pure benzyl isothiocyanate.
Keywords:
Tropaeolum majus L.
benzyl isothiocyanate
gastrointestinal stability
in vitro digestion method
ex vivo digestion method