Professor Paul & Doctor Kyle have spent over ten years researching the potential benefits of watercress and how particular extracts can be tailored and made.
One of their key focuses (and still a focus today) is on isothiocyanates (ITCs for short). These molecules are found at particularly high levels in Brassica plants (which include watercress, wasabi, mustard seed and others). When we eat Brassicas, we can taste the ITCs as they give the characteristic peppery taste. ITCs are created through mechanical disruption of the plant cells ie through chewing, whereby precursor compounds called glucosinolates get mixed with an enzyme called myrosinase and this aids the generation of ITCs. It’s likely that ITC production benefits the plant by acting as a deterrent as some animals don’t like the pepperiness, and it also has a role in protecting the plant post-trauma.
Interestingly, each Brassica plant has a predisposition for a certain type of ITC, as the precursor glucosinolates can be different (in terms of their chemical structures). For example, in Watercress, one important glucosinolate is gluconasturtium (conveniently named, as Watercress in Latin is Nasturtium Officinale). Myrosinase facilitates the conversion of gluconasturtium to the isothiocyanate, PEITC (phenethylisothiocyanate). PEITC and several other ITCs are being actively researched worldwide for their wide-ranging benefits -̶ google it!
Some bacteria that naturally inhabit the skin produce an enzyme called urease, which converts urea to ammonia. Ammonia is irritating to skin, and this is especially seen in babies wearing nappies and adults using incontinence products. Paul and Kyle are interested in Watercress’ natural abundance of urease inhibitors, including certain ITCs, which can block ammonia generation. Given that the preserved urea on the skin is hygroscopic, meaning it holds on to water, it can contribute to softer, more hydrated skin. Additionally, we have discovered that the ITCs mentioned above are able to “scavenge” ammonia, reacting with it to produce non-toxic compounds. Another benefit of the ITCs!
Professor Paul & Dr Kyle have spent a long time trying to understand the speed of the reaction of ITC production in Watercress and how to incorporate this into the Prof & Doc extract production process. This was successfully achieved in September 2023 with the commissioning of our brand-new,
bespoke, production facility. Now, every drop of Prof & Doc extract has
been through a maturation phase to maximise the ITC content, to benefit your skin.
In 2021, when Professor Paul & Dr Kyle made one of their first ITC-containing extracts at the Biorenewables Development Centre in York, they undertook a trial with ADS Laboratories Ltd to explore the effects on skin irritation in 30 human volunteers.* Skin irritation was assessed by a qualified assessor according to the European Society of Contact Dermatitis guidelines for diagnostic patch testing, published in July 2015. The irritation evaluation scale assesses skin redness, swelling, dryness/desquamation, and the appearance of any vesicles that may be present.
