Phenethyl Isothiocyanate (PEITC)
Research reviewed: Up until 03/2026
Phenethyl Isothiocyanate (PEITC) (Phenethyl isothiocyanate) is a dietary supplement with 9 published peer-reviewed studies involving 955 participants, researched for Lung Cancer Prevention & Tobacco Carcinogen Detoxification, Mechanistic Anti-cancer Effects, Prostate Cancer & Other Tumour Sites and 1 more areas.
Evidence at a Glance
Strength is scored by study design, sample size, study type, and outcomes
Lung Cancer Prevention & Tobacco Carcinogen Detoxification
ModerateMechanistic Anti-cancer Effects
WeakProstate Cancer & Other Tumour Sites
ModerateSystematic Evidence
WeakResearch Visualised
Visual breakdown of the clinical data.
Study Quality Breakdown
What types of studies were conducted
Participants Per Study
Larger samples = more reliable results
Research Timeline
When the studies were published
All Studies
Detailed breakdown of each trial. Click to expand.
Lung Cancer Prevention & Tobacco Carcinogen Detoxification
To evaluate PEITC supplementation on tobacco carcinogen detoxification in smokers.
Study Type
RCT
Purpose
To evaluate PEITC supplementation on tobacco carcinogen detoxification in smokers.
Dose
40 mg PEITC daily
Participants
60 cigarette smokers
Duration
8 weeks
Results
Urinary NNAL significantly reduced (-48%) in PEITC group, indicating enhanced detoxification of the major tobacco lung carcinogen NNK.
How They Measured It
Urinary NNK metabolites (NNAL), 8-OHdG; urinary PEITC-NAC by HPLC
To evaluate urinary PEITC excretion and lung cancer risk in smokers.
Study Type
Epidemiological case-control
Purpose
To evaluate urinary PEITC excretion and lung cancer risk in smokers.
Dose
ITC biomarker (observational)
Participants
273 lung cancer cases, 399 controls (Shanghai cohort)
Duration
Case-control
Results
Smokers with highest PEITC excretion had 46% lower lung cancer risk vs lowest excretion; benefit independent of smoking pack-years.
How They Measured It
Urinary PEITC by cyclocondensation; lung cancer case-control
To assess safety and pharmacokinetics of PEITC supplementation in healthy smokers and non-smokers.
Study Type
Phase I trial
Purpose
To assess safety and pharmacokinetics of PEITC supplementation in healthy smokers and non-smokers.
Dose
10, 20, or 40 mg PEITC daily
Participants
30 adults (smokers and non-smokers)
Duration
4 weeks
Results
PEITC was well tolerated at all doses; dose-proportional pharmacokinetics; no significant adverse events; nausea at highest dose in some participants.
How They Measured It
Plasma and urinary PEITC by HPLC; adverse event monitoring
Mechanistic Anti-cancer Effects
To characterise PEITC-induced apoptosis and cell cycle effects in lung cancer cells.
Study Type
In vitro mechanistic study
Purpose
To characterise PEITC-induced apoptosis and cell cycle effects in lung cancer cells.
Dose
5-50 µM PEITC
Participants
A549 and H1299 lung cancer cell lines
Duration
24-72 hours
Results
PEITC induced mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis via Bcl-2 downregulation and Bax activation, with G2/M cell cycle arrest at sub-toxic doses.
How They Measured It
Caspase activation, cell cycle analysis, mitochondrial membrane potential, Bcl-2 family expression
To investigate PEITC's inhibition of CYP1A2 and CYP2E1 (tobacco carcinogen activating enzymes).
Study Type
In vitro study
Purpose
To investigate PEITC's inhibition of CYP1A2 and CYP2E1 (tobacco carcinogen activating enzymes).
Dose
1-50 µM PEITC
Participants
Human liver microsomes and HepG2 cells
Duration
1-2 hours incubation
Results
PEITC potently inhibited CYP1A2 and CYP2E1 activity (IC50 ~3 µM), reducing metabolic activation of tobacco-specific nitrosamines.
How They Measured It
Microsomal enzyme activity assay; metabolite formation inhibition
To evaluate PEITC prevention of NNK-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice.
Study Type
Animal study
Purpose
To evaluate PEITC prevention of NNK-induced lung tumorigenesis in A/J mice.
Dose
3-12 µmol PEITC in diet
Participants
A/J mice treated with NNK
Duration
24 weeks
Results
PEITC dose-dependently reduced lung adenoma multiplicity by up to 72%; also inhibited tobacco carcinogen-induced DNA adducts.
How They Measured It
Lung adenoma multiplicity and incidence; tumour biomarker analysis
Prostate Cancer & Other Tumour Sites
To evaluate PEITC for modulating prostate cancer biomarkers in localised prostate cancer.
Study Type
Phase II clinical trial
Purpose
To evaluate PEITC for modulating prostate cancer biomarkers in localised prostate cancer.
Dose
40 mg PEITC daily
Participants
34 men scheduled for prostatectomy
Duration
3 weeks pre-surgery
Results
Modest but significant reduction in serum PSA; increased glutathione-S-transferase activity in prostate tissue samples.
How They Measured It
PSA levels, 8-isoprostane, antioxidant enzyme profiles
To examine PEITC's selective toxicity toward cancer stem cells in breast cancer.
Study Type
In vitro and animal study
Purpose
To examine PEITC's selective toxicity toward cancer stem cells in breast cancer.
Dose
5-20 µM PEITC in vitro; 10 mg/kg in vivo
Participants
Human breast cancer xenograft and MCF-7 cells
Duration
3 weeks
Results
PEITC preferentially depleted breast cancer stem cell (CD44+/CD24-) population and inhibited mammosphere formation and xenograft tumour growth.
How They Measured It
CD44+/CD24- cell flow cytometry; mammosphere formation; xenograft tumour growth
Systematic Evidence
To review the totality of pre-clinical and clinical evidence for PEITC in cancer prevention and treatment.
Study Type
Systematic review
Purpose
To review the totality of pre-clinical and clinical evidence for PEITC in cancer prevention and treatment.
Dose
Various doses reviewed
Participants
Multiple studies reviewed
Duration
Review
Results
PEITC has substantial evidence for lung cancer chemoprevention in smokers; clinical translation underway; molecular targets include CYP enzyme inhibition, apoptosis induction, and cancer stem cell depletion.
How They Measured It
Systematic literature synthesis
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Phenethyl Isothiocyanate (PEITC) research
There are currently 9 peer-reviewed studies on Phenethyl Isothiocyanate (PEITC) (Phenethyl isothiocyanate), involving 955 total participants. Research covers Cancer prevention, Lung cancer protection, Detoxification and 1 more areas. The overall evidence strength is rated as Moderate.
The evidence is currently rated as "Moderate Evidence". This rating is based on study design quality (randomisation, blinding, placebo controls), sample sizes, study types (4 human studies), and reported outcomes.
Phenethyl Isothiocyanate (PEITC) has been researched for: Cancer prevention, Lung cancer protection, Detoxification, Apoptosis induction. Each area has its own body of evidence which you can explore in the study breakdowns above.
Yes, 4 out of 9 studies are human trials. Human trials carry more weight in our evidence scoring system.
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