Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 4 complete abstracts (585 words), 10 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Substituted thioglucosides. They are found in rapeseed (Brassica campestris) products and related cruciferae. They are metabolized to a variety of toxic products which are most likely the cause of hepatocytic necrosis in animals and humans.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Glucosinolate.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Thioglucosides
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 2,526 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Glucosinolates” (counts retrieved 2026-10-31). 789 of them (31.2%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 1,086 records.
Reviews account for 267 records (10.6%) and meta-analyses for 3. Randomized controlled trials number 33 (1.3%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 141 |
| 2000-2009 | 510 |
| 2010-2019 | 1,086 |
| 2020 onward | 789 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 267 | 10.6% |
| Meta-analyses | 3 | 0.1% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 33 | 1.3% |
Method: PubMed query "Glucosinolates"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-31.
Reading the evidence in drugs and chemicals
Studies of a chemical or drug can answer very different questions: what it is and how it behaves in cells and animals, how the body handles it, and whether it changes outcomes in people. Laboratory and animal findings often do not carry over to patients, and observational studies of exposures are confounded by who uses a substance and why. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to use, avoid, start or stop any substance or medicine; talk to a qualified clinician or pharmacist about your own situation. Check the dose, the species, the comparison group and whether a patient-relevant outcome was measured.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auxin-sensitive Aux/IAA proteins mediate drought tolerance in Arabidopsis by regulating glucosinolate levels | 2019 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 206 | cc by PMID 31492889 · DOI · PMC6731224 |
| The physiological importance of glucosinolates on plant response to abiotic stress in Brassica | 2013 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 197 | cc by PMID 23722664 · DOI · PMC3709749 |
| Jasmonate response decay and defense metabolite accumulation contributes to age-regulated dynamics of plant insect resistance | 2017 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 187 | cc by PMID 28067238 · DOI · PMC5233801 |
| Glucosinolates in Brassica Species: Biosynthesis, Regulation, and Molecular Breeding | 2026 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 1 | cc by PMID 42123309 · DOI · PMC13164505 |
Auxin-sensitive Aux/IAA proteins mediate drought tolerance in Arabidopsis by regulating glucosinolate levels [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- A detailed understanding of abiotic stress tolerance in plants is essential to provide food security in the face of increasingly harsh climatic conditions.
- Closing excerpt
- These results provide a novel connection between auxin signaling, GLS levels and drought response.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (152 words)
A detailed understanding of abiotic stress tolerance in plants is essential to provide food security in the face of increasingly harsh climatic conditions. Glucosinolates (GLSs) are secondary metabolites found in the Brassicaceae that protect plants from herbivory and pathogen attack. Here we report that in Arabidopsis, aliphatic GLS levels are regulated by the auxin-sensitive Aux/IAA repressors IAA5, IAA6, and IAA19. These proteins act in a transcriptional cascade that maintains expression of GLS levels when plants are exposed to drought conditions. Loss of IAA5/6/19 results in reduced GLS levels and decreased drought tolerance. Further, we show that this phenotype is associated with a defect in stomatal regulation. Application of GLS to the iaa5,6,19 mutants restores stomatal regulation and normal drought tolerance. GLS action is dependent on the receptor kinase GHR1, suggesting that GLS may signal via reactive oxygen species. These results provide a novel connection between auxin signaling, GLS levels and drought response.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 31492889 · DOI · PMC6731224
The physiological importance of glucosinolates on plant response to abiotic stress in Brassica [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Glucosinolates, a class of secondary metabolites, mainly found in Brassicaceae, are affected by the changing environment.
- Closing excerpt
- Finally, the transient allocation and re-distribution of glucosinolates as a response to environmental changes is summarized.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (151 words)
Glucosinolates, a class of secondary metabolites, mainly found in Brassicaceae, are affected by the changing environment. This review is focusing on the physiological significance of glucosinolates and their hydrolysis products in the plant response to different abiotic stresses. Special attention is paid to the crosstalk between some of the physiological processes involved in stress response and glucosinolate metabolism, with the resulting connection between both pathways in which signaling mechanisms glucosinolate may act as signals themselves. The function of glucosinolates, further than in defense switching, is discussed in terms of alleviating pathogen attack under abiotic stress. The fact that the exogenous addition of glucosinolate hydrolysis products may alleviate certain stress conditions through its effect on specific proteins is described in light of the recent reports, but the molecular mechanisms involved in this response merit further research. Finally, the transient allocation and re-distribution of glucosinolates as a response to environmental changes is summarized.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 23722664 · DOI · PMC3709749
Jasmonate response decay and defense metabolite accumulation contributes to age-regulated dynamics of plant insect resistance [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Immunity deteriorates with age in animals but comparatively little is known about the temporal regulation of plant resistance to herbivores.
- Closing excerpt
- We propose a model whereby constitutive accumulation of defense compounds plays a role in compensating for age-related JA-response attenuation during plant maturation.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (152 words)
Immunity deteriorates with age in animals but comparatively little is known about the temporal regulation of plant resistance to herbivores. The phytohormone jasmonate (JA) is a key regulator of plant insect defense. Here, we show that the JA response decays progressively in Arabidopsis. We show that this decay is regulated by the miR156-targeted SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE9 (SPL9) group of proteins, which can interact with JA ZIM-domain (JAZ) proteins, including JAZ3. As SPL9 levels gradually increase, JAZ3 accumulates and the JA response is attenuated. We provide evidence that this pathway contributes to insect resistance in young plants. Interestingly however, despite the decay in JA response, older plants are still comparatively more resistant to both the lepidopteran generalist Helicoverpa armigera and the specialist Plutella xylostella, along with increased accumulation of glucosinolates. We propose a model whereby constitutive accumulation of defense compounds plays a role in compensating for age-related JA-response attenuation during plant maturation.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 28067238 · DOI · PMC5233801
Glucosinolates in Brassica Species: Biosynthesis, Regulation, and Molecular Breeding [4]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Glucosinolates (GSLs) are unique sulfur-containing secondary metabolites in Brassica crops that critically influence stress resistance, nutritional quality, and economic value.
- Closing excerpt
- This work provides a systematic theoretical framework for functional research and precision breeding of GSL metabolism in Brassica crops.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (130 words)
Glucosinolates (GSLs) are unique sulfur-containing secondary metabolites in Brassica crops that critically influence stress resistance, nutritional quality, and economic value. This review systematically summarizes the chemical classification, tissue-specific distribution, and conserved three-phase biosynthetic pathway of GSLs in Brassica species. We dissect the core MYB-MYC-WRKY transcriptional regulatory network, elucidate how whole-genome duplication-driven gene functional diversification shapes species-specific GSL accumulation patterns, and outline the multi-layered regulatory system integrating endogenous and exogenous signals. Furthermore, we consolidate recent advances in the genetic dissection of GSL traits and molecular breeding strategies for targeted trait improvement. Finally, we propose a three-tiered regulatory cascade model for GSL metabolism and highlight future research priorities to address current breeding bottlenecks. This work provides a systematic theoretical framework for functional research and precision breeding of GSL metabolism in Brassica crops.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42123309 · DOI · PMC13164505
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article The chemical diversity and distribution of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates among plants [5]
- Research article Biology and biochemistry of glucosinolates [6]
- Research article Biosynthesis of glucosinolates--gene discovery and beyond [7]
- Research article Cruciferous vegetables and human cancer risk: epidemiologic evidence and mechanistic basis [8]
- Research article Role of glucosinolates in insect-plant relationships and multitrophic interactions [9]
- Research article Glucosinolates and their breakdown products in food and food plants [10]
References
- Salehin M, Li B, Tang M, Katz E, Song L, Ecker JR, et al.. Auxin-sensitive Aux/IAA proteins mediate drought tolerance in Arabidopsis by regulating glucosinolate levels. . 2019. PMID 31492889 · DOI · PMC6731224
- Del Carmen Martínez-Ballesta M, Moreno DA, Carvajal M. The physiological importance of glucosinolates on plant response to abiotic stress in Brassica. . 2013. PMID 23722664 · DOI · PMC3709749
- Mao YB, Liu YQ, Chen DY, Chen FY, Fang X, Hong GJ, et al.. Jasmonate response decay and defense metabolite accumulation contributes to age-regulated dynamics of plant insect resistance. . 2017. PMID 28067238 · DOI · PMC5233801
- Zhao S, Wu M, Chen Y, Xiong Y, Wang L, Wang H, et al.. Glucosinolates in Brassica Species: Biosynthesis, Regulation, and Molecular Breeding. . 2026. PMID 42123309 · DOI · PMC13164505
- Fahey JW, Zalcmann AT, Talalay P. The chemical diversity and distribution of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates among plants. Phytochemistry. 2001. PMID 11198818 · DOI
- Halkier BA, Gershenzon J. Biology and biochemistry of glucosinolates. Annu Rev Plant Biol. 2006. PMID 16669764 · DOI
- Sønderby IE, Geu-Flores F, Halkier BA. Biosynthesis of glucosinolates--gene discovery and beyond. Trends Plant Sci. 2010. PMID 20303821 · DOI
- Higdon JV, Delage B, Williams DE, Dashwood RH. Cruciferous vegetables and human cancer risk: epidemiologic evidence and mechanistic basis. Pharmacol Res. 2007. PMID 17317210 · DOI · PMC2737735
- Hopkins RJ, van Dam NM, van Loon JJ. Role of glucosinolates in insect-plant relationships and multitrophic interactions. Annu Rev Entomol. 2009. PMID 18811249 · DOI
- Fenwick GR, Heaney RK, Mullin WJ. Glucosinolates and their breakdown products in food and food plants. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 1983. PMID 6337782 · DOI
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-31.
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Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.