The composition of isothiocyanates in Dolsan leaf mustard was investigated. Five major volatile isothiocyanates detected in leaf mustard were sec-butyl isothiocyanate, allyl isothiocyanate, 3-butenyl isothiocyanate, n-hexyl isothiocyanate and β-phenylethyl isothiocyanate. In both leaf and leaf stalk allyl isothiocyanate and 3-butenyl isothiocyanate were the most abundant. The compositional difference of isothiocyanates between leaf and leaf stalk was that n-hexyl and β-phenylethyl isothiocyanates were present more in leaf than leaf stalk.

This study examined the total glucosinolate (GSL) and isothiocyanate (ITC) contents according to different processing conditions; fresh Kimchi cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis), salted Kimchi cabbage and kimchi (storage temperature 4℃ and 20℃) using two different cultivars (Bomatnorang and Chunkwang). Four GSL peaks representing gluconapin, glucobrassicanapin, glucobrassicin and 4-methoxyglucobrassicin were detected in Kimchi cabbage by HPLC and HPLC/MS analysis. The total GSL contents of fresh Kimchi cabbage of Bomatnorang and Chunkwang were 21.37±1.06 μg/g dry weight (DW) and 20.96±3.33 μg/g DW, respectively. After salting, the total GSL contents of salted Kimchi cabbage decreased by 39% and 52% in Bomatnorang and Chunkwang, respectively. Finally, the total GSL contents of kimchi after storage at 20℃ decreased by 83% and 56% in Bomatnorang and Chunkwang, respectively. The extracted ITC contents were analyzed by GC/MS. Three ITC peaks were detected in Kimchi cabbage representing 2-phenylethyl ITC, 3-butenyl ITC and 4-pentenyl ITC. The 2-phenylethyl ITC levels increased during the salting process but this generally fell during storage at 20℃ as kimchi. The 3-butenyl ITC levels of Kimchi cabbage according to processing decreased rapidly due to salting and then decreased slowly during storage as kimchi. The 4-pentenyl ITC of Kimchi cabbage was lost during the salting process. The results for the change in GSL and ITC contents during the kimchi making process will be used in the food industry.

The antimicrobial effects of ten isothiocyanates (ITCs) present in cruciferous vegetables and radish root hydrolysate were investigated against pathogenic bacteria from olive flounder. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) were measured against two gram-positive bacterial strains (Streptococcus parauberis, S. iniae) and four gram-negative bacterial strains (Edwardsiella tarda, Vibrio ichthyoenteri, V. harveyi, Photobacterium damselae) by using a broth microdilution technique. The antibacterial activity of ITCs was in the order sulforaphane > sulforaphene > phenylethyl ITC > erucin > benzyl ITC > iberin > I3C > allyl ITC > phenyl ITC > hexyl ITC. The susceptibility of fish pathogens to ITCs was in the order of V. harveyi > E. tarda > P. damselae > S. parauberis > S. iniae > V. ichthyoenteri. Antimicrobial activity (MIC) of radish root hydrolysate was 0.250 mg/mL against S. iniae, 0.438 mg/mL against S. parauberis, and 0.500 mg/mL against both E. tarda and V. harveyi. The aliphatic ITCs were potent inhibitors of the growth of fish pathogens, followed by aromatic ITCs and indolyl ITC. The presence of a double bond in the chemical structure of ITCs decreased antibacterial activity, while ITCs with a thiol (-S-) group and a longer carbon chain increased antibacterial activity. These results suggest that ITCs have strong antibacterial activities and may be useful in the prevention of fish pathogens.