Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of isothiocyanates

Isothiocyanates from Brassica vegetables are of great interest for use in the cure of bacterial infections, as is their potential application in the prevention and treatment of cancer. Although much information is available on their mode of action within the cell, when it comes to the question of whether the necessary pharmacologic concentration has been reached at the target organ, detailed knowledge is still lacking. However, a basic prerequisite for clinical application to humans is knowledge of isothiocyanate pharmacokinetic and dynamic behavior in the human body (e.g., to define intake intervals or to ascertain constant levels of the active compound). In this context, we, therefore, reviewed the available literature on in vitro studies, as well as animal and human intervention trials conducted with isothiocyanate and isothiocyanate-containing food preparations.