Alzheimer's Disease     (#)

Investigation of Common Vegetables for Cholinesterase Inhibitory Activity

British Pharmaceutical Conference, 142nd, 9/26–28/2005, p151.
Chiu, B, Houghton, P.

Natural compounds from broccoli possess activity similar to treatments used for symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors have been used to treat symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. Peter Houghton and colleagues in the Department of Pharmacy at King's College London, tested orange, radish, apple, broccoli and potato for this activity and showed that broccoli contains anti-AChE activity. Further they determined that activity appears to be the result of broccoli's glucosinolate content. Glucosinolates are thought to be the compounds in broccoli and related vegetables responsible for inhibiting the risk of cancer.

Bladder Cancer     (#)

Consumption of Raw Cruciferous Vegetables is Inversely Associated with Bladder Cancer Risk

Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 1st April 2008, Volume 17, Pages 938-944
L. Tang, G.R. Zirpoli, K. Guru, K.B. Moysich, Y. Zhang, C.B. Ambrosone, S.E. McCann
doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-07-2502
PubMed ID: 18398034
(Cruciferous veg again linked to bladder cancer protection)

An epidemiological study shows a strong inverse correlation between cruciferous vegetable consumption and bladder cancer. The data suggest an increased intake of cruciferous vegetables may slash the risk of bladder cancer by 36 per cent.

Inhibition of Urinary Bladder Carcinogenesis by Broccoli Sprouts.

Cancer Research, Volume 68, Issue 5, Pages 1593-1600.
R. Munday, P. Mhawech-Fauceglia, C.M. Munday, J.D. Paonessa, L. Tang, J.S. Munday, C. Lister, P. Wilson, J.W. Fahey, W. Davis, Y. Zhang.
doi:10.1158/0008-5472
PubMed ID: 18310317

A concentrated extract from broccoli sprouts may cut the development of bladder cancer by more than 50 per cent, according to results of this animal study. Researchers used a freeze-dried aqueous extract of broccoli sprouts that contained approximately 600 times the isothiocyanates content of mature broccoli. Rats were assigned to one of five groups. All groups were fed a control diet for two weeks. After a further 2 weeks, three groups were given a bladder cancer-inducing chemical (BBN) in drinking water. Two of these groups were given the broccoli extract in diet (low and high dose), beginning two weeks before the carcinogenic chemical was delivered. The two control groups were fed either the control diet, while the second received only the broccoli extract to test for safety. At the end of the study, about 96 per cent animals given only BBN developed an average of almost two tumours each of varying sizes. However, in the animals given BBN and the low dose extract tumours developed in only 22 per cent fewer animals, and the number of tumours per rat was 1.39. Furthermore, animals given BBN and the high dose extract developed about 58 per cent fewer tumours, and the average number of tumours per animal was only 0.46. In comparison, in both control groups, no tumours developed, and no toxicity from the extract was observed in the animals.

Induction of GST and NQO1 in Cultured Bladder Cells and in the Urinary Bladders of Rats by an Extract of Broccoli (Brassica oleracea italica) Sprouts (#)

J Agric Food Chem. 2006 Dec 13;54(25):9370-9376.
Yuesheng Zhang, Rex Munday, Hillary E. Jobson, Christine M. Munday, Carolyn Lister, Paula Wilson, Jed W. Fahey, and Paulette Mhawech-Fauceglia
doi:10.1021/jf062109h
PubMed ID: 17147420

In this joint study, scientists from Roswell Park Cancer Institute, New Zealand Institute for Crop and Food Research Limited, and Johns Hopkins University, found that sulforaphane significantly stimulates Phase II enzymes in cultured bladder cells and rat bladder tissue. Researchers fed rats a broccoli sprout extract of the isothiocyanate sulforaphane, which is known to induce Phase II enzymes. Subsequent urinary output showed dose dependent high levels of isothiocyanate metabolites with no sign of toxicity. These findings suggest that Sulforaphane may be especially effective in protecting against bladder cancer.

The role of c-Jun in the AP-1 activation induced by naturally occurring isothiocyanates

Food Chem Toxicol. 2005 Sep;43(9):1373-80.
Li J, Yao S, Zhang Y.
doi:10.1016/j.fct.2005.03.011

Dietary isothiocyanates inhibit the growth of human bladder carcinoma cells

J Nutr. 2004 Aug;134(8):2004-10
Tang L, Zhang Y.
PubMed ID: 15284390

Isothiocyanates in the chemoprevention of bladder cancer (#)

Current Drug Metabolism. 2004 Apr;5(2):193-201.
Tang L, Zhang Y.
PubMed ID: 15078196

Brain Injury     (#)

Enhancing expression of Nrf2-driven genes protects the blood-brain barrier after brain injury (#)

The Journal of Neuroscience
Jing Zhao, Anthony N. Moore, John B. Redell, and Pramod K. Dash
doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1683-07.2007
PubMed ID: 17881530

Sulforaphane may help to maintain the integrity of the blood-brain barrier following injury. This animal study indicated that sulforaphane increased activity of NF-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2). Nrf2 binds to the antioxidant response element (ARE), influencing expression of so-called cytoprotective proteins. Sulforaphane treatment of uninjured and brain-injured rats increased cortical expression of Nrf2-driven genes. Tight junction proteins are key to maintaining BBB integrity, and they decline after brain injury. Sulforaphane reduced the loss of these proteins as well as the loss of endothelial cells and also reduced the injury-related increase in BBB permeability and brain edema.

Breast Cancer     (#)

Preclinical and Clinical Evaluation of Sulforaphane for Chemoprevention in the Breast (#)

Carcinogenesis, Advanced Access, March 7, 2007
Cornblatt BS, Ye L, Dinkova-Kostova AT, Erb M, Fahey JW, Singh NK, Chen MS, Stierer T, Garrett-Meyer E, Argani P, Davidson NE, Talalay P, Kensler TW, Visvanathan K.
doi:10.1093/carcin/bgm049
PubMed ID: 17347138

After rats ingested 150µM of sulforaphane, mammary tissue was analyzed 30 minutes and 24 hours later for the presence of phase II enzyme induction activity. Findings confirmed results of past studies and showed elevation of significant phase II enzyme activity. Researchers followed this with a proof of principle pilot study involving 8 healthy women undergoing reduction mammoplasty. These women ingested 200µM of sulforaphane extract derived from broccoli sprouts an average of 50 minutes before undergoing surgery. Subsequently, epithelial cells removed from breast tissue revealed the presence of Phase II enzymatic activity. This demonstrates that there is uptake of sulforaphane in breast tissue following oral administration.

Inhibition of benzo[a]pyrene- and 1,6-dinitropyrene-DNA adduct formation in human mammary epithelial cells by dibenzoylmethane and sulforaphane (#)

Cancer Letters 2000 July 3; 155(1):47-54.
Singletary K, MacDonald C.
PubMed ID: 10814878

One of the critical factors that determines the capacity of a carcinogen to cause cancer is its ability to bind to DNA. This Carcinogen-DNA binding, or adduct formation, causes DNA mutations when the DNA is replicated during cell division. Most of these mutations are never seen and result in cell death. But a very small percentage can result in uncontrolled growth that may lead to cancer. In a paper published in Cancer Letters, a research group at the University of Illinois showed that sulforaphane significantly reduces the formation of these carcinogen-DNA adducts.

Broccoli sprouts: An exceptionally rich source of inducers of enzymes that protect against chemical carcinogens (#)

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Vol. 94, pp. 10367-10372, September 16, 1997.
Jed W. Fahey, Yuesheng Zhang, and Paul Talalay
PubMed ID: 9294217

Anticarcinogenic Activities of Sulforaphane and Structurally Related Synthetic Norbornyl Isothiocyanates (#)

Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1994 Apr 12;91(8):3147-50
Y Zhang, TW Kensler, C Cho, GH Posner and P Talalay
PubMed ID: 8159717

Cholesterol     (#)

Phase 1 study of multiple biomarkers for metabolism and oxidative stress after one-week intake of broccoli sprouts

BioFactors 22 (2004) 271-275
Megumi Murashima, Shaw Watanabe, Xing-Gang Zhuo, Mariko Uehara and Atsushi Kurashige
PubMed ID: 15630296

In a pilot study, researchers from the Tokyo University of Agriculture and The Japan Institute for the Control of Aging found that among individuals who ate 3 1/2 ounces of broccoli sprouts a day for just one week, their overall cholesterol levels decreased. Participants' levels of HDL, or "good" cholesterol, increased during this study. The SGS in the broccoli sprouts also reduced the amount of oxidative stress, or cell destruction caused by free radicals.

Colon Cancer     (#)

Synergistic effects of a combination of dietary factors sulforaphane and (-) epigallocatechin-3-gallate in HT-29 AP-1 human colon cancer cells

Pharmaceutical Research
Sujit Nair, Vidya Hebbar, Guoxiang Shen, Avantika Gopalakrishnan, Tin Oo Khor, Siwang Yu, Changjiang Xu, Ah-Ng Kong
doi:10.1007/s11095-007-9364-7
PubMed ID: 17657594

Out of Rutgers, comes a study indicating a synergistic relationship between EGCG and sulforaphane. According to the researchers, “the effects of these two phytochemicals in combination, was dramatically enhanced over the effects of either of the compounds alone, or their additive effects.” The complex molecular interactions and cell signaling pathways make direct translation of the results to human cancers problematic, but the authors suggest that the present study “may point to a singular role for AP-1 mediated transcriptional control of potentially critical genes mediating cancer initiation and progression. This translates into potentially greater efficacy, of the combination of SFN [Sulforaphane] and EGCG in chemoprevention of cancer.”

Quantitative combination effects between sulforaphane and 3,3'-diindolymethane on proliferation of human colon cancer cells in vitro.

Carcinogenesis, 28(7):1471-1477
Gerlinda Pappa, Julia Strathmann, Maria Lowinger, Helmut Bartsch and Clarissa Gerhauser
doi:10.1093/carcin/bgm044
PubMed ID: 17331956

Sulforaphane and DIM, separately, possess growth-inhibiting and cell death-inducing properties in cancer cell lines in vitro. In this study, researchers examined the effect of sulforaphane and DIM on human colon cancer cells. The results indicate that at low doses, sulforaphane and DIM fight against each other. However, at higher concentrations, the joint effects grew synergistic. Sulforaphane normally induces phase II enzymes at concentrations of 1-5 uM. When paired with DIM, sulforaphane induced cell death at a minimum of 10uM. Moreoever, at equal concentrations of 10uM, DIM and sulforaphane together caused stronger cell cycle arrest than each would do individually. The significance of this study centers on the use of human colon cancer cells instead of animal, and the synergistic effects of the 2 phytochemicals together.

Sulforaphane inhibits histone deacetylase in vivo and suppresses tumorigenesis in Apc^min mice (#)

FASEB Journal Express. Published online January 11, 2006.
Melinda C. Myzak, W. Mohaiza Dashwood, Gayle A. Orner, Emily Ho, and Roderick H. Dashwood
doi:10.1096/fj.05-4785fje
PubMed ID: 16407454

Transcriptome analysis of human colon Caco-2 cells exposed to sulforaphane.

J Nutr. 2005 Aug;135(8):1865-72.
Maria Traka, Amy V. Gasper, Julie A. Smith, Chris J. Hawkey, Yongping Bao, and Richard F. Mithen
PubMed ID: 16046710
(FTSA article)

Chemoprevention of colonic aberrant crypt foci in Fischer rats by major isothiocyanates in watercress and broccoli. (#)

Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research, March 2000; 41:660.
Chung F-L, Conaway CC, Rao CV, Reddy BS.
PubMed ID: 11133820

Researchers at the American Health Foundation, Valhalla, NY, showed that sulforaphane significantly inhibited the formation of colon cancer in rats. These findings provide the first evidence that sulforaphane plays an important role in preventing colon cancer.

Sulforaphane, A Naturally Occurring Isothiocyanate, Induces Cell Cycle Arrest and Apoptosis in HT29 Human Colon Cancer Cells (#)

Cancer Research. 2000 March 1; 60(5):1426-1433.
Gamet-Payrastre L, Li P, Lumeau S, Cassar G, Dupont MA, Chevolleau S, Gase N, Tulliez J, Terçé F.
PubMed ID: 10728709

The Johns Hopkins research to date has shown that sulforaphane can protect against cancer. These studies have indicated that the mechanism for this protection is the stimulation of the body's own antioxidant system. This system, comprised of what we call Phase 2 Enzymes, eliminates carcinogens from the body before they can cause DNA damage. However, what would happen if some of the carcinogens get through this system and actually cause DNA damage or mutations? The answer may lie in a paper published in the prestigious journal, Cancer Research. (March 2000) This paper, published by a French research team, shows for the first time that sulforaphane may be able to do more than just activate antioxidants. This important new research describes the ability of sulforaphane to cause cancer cells to self-destruct (programmed cell death or apoptosis.) The multidimensional ability of sulforaphane to remove carcinogens AND kill cells with potential cancer causing mutations is a major breakthrough in our understanding of this chemoprotectant.

Heart     (#)

Broccoli: A Unique Vegetable That Protects Mammalian Hearts through the Redox Cycling of the Thioredoxin Superfamily. (#)

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
Mukherjee S, Gangopadhyay H, Das DK
doi:10.1021/jf0728146
PubMed ID: 18163565

A research team at the Cardiovascular Research Center, University of Connecticut School of Medicine in the US published a laboratory study in the scientific journal The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. One group of rats were fed liquified broccoli while six control animals were fed only water. After 30 days, the researchers simulated a heart attack in the animals by removing the hearts and cutting off the blood supply for 30 minutes, followed by two hours where the blood flow was returned. When compared to the control group, the rats fed broccoli showed improved heart muscle function after the experimental heart attack: they had a smaller amount of dead heart muscle and heart muscle cells. These changes were accompanied by changes in several proteins found in the cell nuclei, and other chemicals thought to protect the heart. The scientists believe selenium and glucosinolates play an important role in the improved heart function.

Hypertension     (#)

Dietary approaches to positively influence fetal determinants of adult health (#)

FASEB Journal Express. Published online December 14, 2005
Mohammad Hossein Noyan-Ashraf, Lingyun Wu, Rui Wang, and Bernhard H. J. Juurlink
doi:10.1096/fj.05-4889fje
PubMed ID: 16354723
(Related news release)

Dietary approach to attenuate oxidative stress, hypertension, and inflammation in the cardiovascular system (#)

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Vol. 101, no. 18, pp. 7094-7099, May 4, 2004
Lingyun Wu, M. Hossein Noyan Ashraf, Marina Facci, Rui Wang, Phyllis G. Paterson, Alison Ferrie, and Bernhard H. J. Juurlink
doi:10.1073/pnas.0402004101
PubMed ID: 15103025
(Related press release)

Dr. Bernhard Juurlink at the University of Saskatchewan, in Saskatoon, Canada, found that sulforaphane, when fed to rats with high blood pressure, improved cardiovascular health by decreasing the inflammation and improving heart, arteries and kidney function. According to Dr. Juurlink, this is the first study to go beyond showing preventative properties of SGS; it proves that the antioxidant can correct damage already done to the cardiovascular system.

The impaired glutathione system and its up-regulation by sulforaphane in vascular smooth muscle cells from spontaneously hypertensive rats. (#)

Journal of Hypertension. 19(10):1819-1825, October 2001.
Wu, Lingyun; Juurlink, Bernhard H. J.

Joint Inflammation     (#)

Divergent responses of chondrocytes and endothelial cells to shear stress: Cross-talk among COX-2, the phase 2 response, and apoptosis.

Proc Nat. Acad. Sci. USA 102:39 10410-10415. (2005)
Healy, Z, Lee, N, Gao, X, Goldring, M, Talalay, P, Kensler, T, and Konstantopoulos, K.
doi:10.1073/pnas.0506620102
PubMed ID: 16172382
(JHMI Press Release: Phytochemicals May Protect Cartilage, Prevent Pain in Joints. Phase 2 Enzyme Inducers Appear to Stop Harmful Inflammation)

Sulforaphane, appears to block enzymes that trigger inflammation in joints. A team at Johns Hopkins University added sulforaphane to cartilage cells from human joints. After 24 hours, the cells were subjected to stress tests. The sulforaphane boosted Phase 2 enzymes that prevented the activation of the systems that trigger inflammation. In addition, sulforaphane prevented apoptosis (programmed cell death). Zachary Healy, the lead author of the paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA, suggests that although much work would need to be done to confirm this effect in humans, these natural dietary compounds have the potential to stop pain and inflammation before they start and ideally might be used prior to sporting activities.

Kidney (Renal) Cancer     (#)

Micronutrients and the risk of renal cell cancer: A case-control study from Italy (#)

International Journal of Cancer. 2007 Feb 15;120(4):892-6.
Cristina Bosetti, Lorenza Scotti, Luigino Dal Maso, Renato Talamini, Maurizio Montella, Eva Negri, Valerio Ramazzotti, Silvia Franceschi, Carlo La Vecchia
doi:10.1002/ijc.22374
PubMed ID: 17131347
(bpp blog mention)

Liver     (#)

Effects of glucosinolate-rich broccoli sprouts on urinary levels of aflatoxin-DNA adducts and phenanthene tetraols in a randomized clinical trial in He Zuo Township, Qidong, PRC (#)

Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, Nov 2005; 14(11).
Kensler, T.W., Chen, J-G., Egner, P.A., Fahey, J.W., Jacobson, L.P., Stephenson, K.K., Ye, X., Coady, J.L.,Wang, J-B., Wu, Y., Sun, Y., Zhang, Q-N., Zhang, B-C., Zhu, Y-R., Qian, G-S., Carmella, S.G., Hecht, S.S., Benning, L., Gange, S.J., Groopman, J.D. and Talalay, P.
PubMed ID: 16284385
(Related press release)

In a rural area of China where there is a very high prevalence of liver cancer due to a confluence of hepatitis virus and environmental toxins, scientists at Johns Hopkins University and Qidong Liver Institute PRC, near Shanghai performed experiments to measure the ability of broccoli sprouts to increase the body's abilities to detoxify carcinogens. In a single-blinded placebo-controlled trial, (100 test, 100 control) subjects drank a hot water extract of 3-day-old broccoli sprouts or a placebo, daily for two weeks. The subjects' urine was tested to measure detoxification capacity. The broccoli sprouts test group showed a significant reduction in aflatoxin-DNA adduct levels with increasing levels of broccoli sprout consumption. The change in these biomarkers strongly suggests that there was an enhanced detoxification (neutralization) of carcinogens from the human body leading to a reduction in cancer risk.

Lung Cancer     (#)

Sulforaphane-stimulated phase II enzyme induction inhibits cytokine production by airway epithelial cells stimulated with diesel extract.

Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 292:L33-L39, 2007
Ritz SA, Wan J, Diaz-Sanchez D
doi:10.1152/ajplung.00170.2006
PubMed ID: 16905640

While sulforaphane’s anti-cancer properties are being extensively examined, this study focuses on sulforaphane’s anti-inflammatory properties and the prevention of pollutant-related respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Airway inflammation can lead to acute and chronic lung dysfunction, and can also cause systemic responses in the cardiovascular system, effecting blood coagulation and gas exchange. Moreover, oxidative stress results from exposure to air pollutants as well as from airway inflammation due to disorders such as asthma and COPD. The researchers administered up to 6.25µM of sulforaphane to human bronchial epithelial tissue in vitro to stimulate phase II enzyme induction. The tissue was then subjected to diesel exhaust particles, which resulted in the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Tissues that were pretreated with sulforaphane suffered less oxidative stress than control cells that weren’t treated. While research needs to proceed in vivo, this study suggests preventive properties of sulforaphane on airway tissue damaged by diesel pollutants.

Antimetastatic activity of Sulforaphane.

Life Science 2006 May 22; 78(26):3043-50.
Thejass P, Kuttan G.
doi:10.1016/j.lfs.2005.12.038
PubMed ID: 16600309

N-Acetylcysteine Conjugate of Phenethyl Isothiocyanate Enhances Apoptosis in Growth-Stimulated Human Lung Cells. (#)

Cancer Research. 2005 Sep 15;65(18):8538-47.
Yang-Ming Yang, Meena Jhanwar-Uniyal, Joel Schwartz, C. Clifford Conaway, H. Dorota Halicka, Frank Traganos and Fung-Lung Chung.
PubMed ID: 16166335

Phenethyl Isothiocyanate and Sulforaphane and their N-Acetylcysteine Conjugates Inhibit Malignant Progression of Lung Adenomas Induced by Tobacco Carcinogens in A/J Mice. (#)

Cancer Res. 65: (18) 8548-8557.
Conaway, C, Wang, C-X, Pittman, B, Yang, Y-M, Schwartz, J, Tian, D, McIntee, E, Hecht, S, Chung, F-L.
PubMed ID: 16166336

In the September 15, 2005 issue of Cancer Research, scientists from the Georgetown University Medical Center, reported that sulforaphane and another isothiocyanate could prevent benign tumors produced by a cigarette carcinogen from developing into full-blown cancer tumors in lungs of mice. By using a model in which the animals were exposed to the carcinogens before administration of the chemoprotective agent, they demonstrated that the agent (sulforaphane) inhibits the progression of the disease by reducing proliferation and causing apoptosis - programmed cell death of the damaged cells. These findings suggest that chemoprotective agents might be useful among populations that have already been exposed to tobacco carcinogens. This might be useful, for example, as chemoprotective agents for current smokers, ex-smokers, or those exposed to second-hand smoke.

Parkinson's Disease     (#)

Protective Effect of Sulforaphane against Dopaminergic Cell Death. (#)

J Pharmacol Exper Ther, 321(1):249-256, 2007
Han JM, Lee YJ, Lee SY, Kim EM, Moon Y, Kim HW, Hwang O.
doi:10.1124/jpet.106.110866
PubMed ID: 17259450

Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive disorder resulting from the loss of cells in a section of the brain called the substantia nigra. Those cells produce the neurotransmitter dopamine. Loss of dopamine causes critical nerve cells in the brain to fire uncontrollably, leaving a person unable to direct or control their muscle movement.

Preliminary results from in vitro experiments by researchers in Seoul, Korea indicated that sulforaphane protected dopaminergic cells from the cytotoxicity of 6-OHDA and BH4, compounds known to produce dopamine quinone products and oxidative stress, and cause selective death of dopaminergic cells. Further studies need to be conducted to determine whether sulforaphane crosses the blood-brain barrier and the amount of dietary intake needed to be effective.

Prostate Cancer     (#)

Combinations of tomato and broccoli enhance antitumor activity in dunning r3327-h prostate adenocarcinomas (#)

Cancer Research. 2007 Jan 15; 67(2):836-43. Epub 2007 Jan 9.
Canene-Adams K, Lindshield BL, Wang S, Jeffery EH, Clinton SK, Erdman JW Jr.
doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-3462
PubMed ID: 17213256
(blog mention)

Sulforaphane Retards the Growth of Human PC-3 Xenografts and Inhibits HDAC Activity in Human Subjects

Experimental Biology and Medicine 232:227-234.
Myzak MC, Tong P, Dashwood W-M, Dashwood RH, Ho E
PubMed ID: 17259330

Potent Induction of Phase 2 Enzymes in Human Prostate Cells by Sulforaphane. (#)

Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, Vol. 10, pp. 949-954. Sept. 2001.
James D. Brooks, Vincent G. Paton and Genevieve Vidanes.
PubMed ID: 11535546

Human prostate cancer cells responded well to treatment with sulforaphane in the form of broccoli sprout extracts, showing dramatic increases in their Phase 2 protective enzymes. In his article, Dr. James D. Brooks of the Urology Department at Stanford University suggests, "Intervention trials may be warranted [in humans], and broccoli sprouts, a rich natural source of sulforaphane, may be appropriate for use in such a trial."

Skin Cancer     (#)

Sulforaphane mobilizes cellular defenses that protect skin against damage by UV radiation (#)

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA. 2007 Oct 30;104(44):17500-5.
Paul Talalay, Jed W. Fahey, Zachary R. Healy, Scott L. Wehage, Andrea L. Benedict, Christine Min and Albena T. Dinkova-Kostova
doi:10.1073/pnas.0708710104
PubMed ID: 17956979
(Broccoli Sprout-Derived Extract Protects against Ultraviolet Radiation)

A team of Johns Hopkins scientists, lead by Dr. Paul Talalay, applied a broccoli sprout extract to the skin of human volunteers. Skin redness and inflammation from UV-ray exposure were noticeably reduced in extract-treated skin. This represents the first time that sulforaphane has been demonstrated to resist cancer in humans. Although the research was conducted on skin, the effect is not that of a sunscreen or sun block – but rather the sulforaphane boosts the cellular protective processes in the skin such that they could resist the damage of UV light. In addition, this protection persisted for several days, demonstrating the long lasting antioxidant effect.

Reprogramming of keratin biosynthesis by sulforaphane restores skin integrity in epidermolysis bullosa simplex

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA
Michelle L. Kerns, Daryle DePianto, Albena T. Dinkova-Kostova, Paul Talalay and Pierre A. Coulombe
doi:10.1073/pnas.0706486104
PubMed ID: 17724334
(Skin Blistering Disease EBS Treated With Natural Chemical Found In Broccoli)

The researchers treated newborn mice with a severe form of EBS with a topical solution containing sulforaphane and found marked improvement; after four days more than 85 percent of the treated mice were alive and blister-free. Genetic activation of Gli2 or treatment with a pharmacological activator of Nrf2, two transcription factors eliciting distinct transcriptional programs, alleviates the blistering caused by a K14 deficiency in an EBS mouse model, correlating with K17 induction in basal epidermal keratinocytes. Nrf2 induction is brought about by treatment with sulforaphane

Induction of the Phase 2 Response in Mouse and Human Skin by Sulforaphane-containing Broccoli Sprout Extracts.

Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(4):847-851.
Dinkova-Kostova AT, Fahey JW, Wade KL, Jenkins SN, Shapiro TA, Fuchs EJ, Kerns ML, Talalay P.
doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-06-0934
PubMed ID: 17416783

Protection against UV-light-induced skin carcinogenesis in SKH-1 high-risk mice by sulforaphane-containing broccoli sprout extracts. (#)

Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, November 2005, Vol. 14(11).
Dinkova-Kostova, A, Jenkins, S, Fahey, J, Ye, L, Wehage, S, Liby, K, Stephenson, K, Wade, K and Talalay, P.
doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2005.09.012
PubMed ID: 16271437

In a study from Johns Hopkins, mice were exposed to damaging levels of UV light for a period of 20 weeks. Following this, sulforaphane was applied topically to the test group for 11 weeks and compared to untreated controls. At the conclusion of the test, 100% of the control group had tumors. Number of mice with tumors, number of tumors per mouse, and mass of tumors were all reduced by about 50% in the animals that received the broccoli sprout extract. This protocol mirrors the situation of humans exposed to a great deal of sun during childhood, and lower exposure in later life. The significance of this work is that application of the chemoprotective agent was given after exposure to the carcinogen, thus suggesting its ability to prevent progression to of cancer. (Further the test was designed to prevent any "sunscreen" effect of the blocking of the UV radiation thus ensuring that the results could be attributed to the detoxifying protective effects of the broccoli sprout extracts.)

This is the first experiment in which protection was shown against a physical cancer initiator - UV light. Thus, topical application of sulforaphane-containing broccoli sprout extracts is a promising strategy for protecting against skin tumor formation after exposure to UV radiation.

Stomach     (#)

Daily Intake of Sulforaphane-Rich Broccoli Sprouts Improves Gastritis in H.pylori-Infected Human Subjects. (#)

Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, November 2005, Vol. 14(11 Part 2): 2754s.
Yanaka, A, Zhang, S, Yamamoto, M, Fahey, J.
(Abstract PDF)

In a study from Japan, broccoli sprouts were fed to patients infected with Helicobacter pylori bacteria. H. pylori infection can cause stomach ulcers and markedly increases the risk of developing stomach cancer. After eating 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces) broccoli sprouts daily for 2 months, measures of H. pylori infection were substantially reduced. Control subjects fed a vegetable with no sulforaphane or related compounds showed no change, suggesting strongly that the content of sulforaphane glucosinolate (SGS) in broccoli sprouts was responsible for the reduction of the bacteria.

This confirms test-tube and rodent studies, and a preliminary clinical study on the potent and selective antibacterial properties of sulforaphane and its ability to selectively target the H. pylori bacteria, which are often difficult to eradicate.

"These data strongly suggest that a diet rich in sulforaphane glucosinolate may help protect against gastric cancer, presumably by activating gastric mucosal antioxidant enzymes that can protect the cells from H. pylori-induced DNA damage," stated Dr. Akinori Yanaka of the University of Tsukuba in Japan, lead author of the study.

Oral Broccoli Sprouts for the Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection: A Preliminary Report

Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 49(7/8):1088-1090, 2004.
Mark V. Galan, Md, Arfana A. Kishan, Md, And Ann L. Silverman, Md
doi:10.1023/B:DDAS.0000037792.04787.8a
PubMed ID: 15387326

Sulforaphane inhibits extracellular, intracellular, and antibiotic-resistant strains of Helicobacter pylori and prevents benzo[a]pyrene-induced stomach tumors (#)

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Vol. 99, Issue 11, pp. 7610-7615, May 28, 2002
Jed W. Fahey, Xavier Haristoy, Patrick M. Dolan, Thomas W. Kensler, Isabelle Scholtus, Katherine K. Stephenson, Paul Talalay, and Alain Lozniewski
doi:10.1073/pnas.112203099
PubMed ID: 12032331
(Local full-text PDF copy)

A Johns Hopkins University research team led by Dr. Jed Fahey, discovered that sulforaphane kills Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium responsible for the vast majority of stomach ulcers and stomach cancers, a leading cause of cancer death worldwide. In their laboratory experiments, the scientists discovered that purified sulforaphane even killed helicobacter that was resistant to commonly-used antibiotics. They also showed that sulforaphane can kill the bacterium whether it is inside or outside cells. In humans, cells lining the stomach can act as reservoirs of helicobacter, making it more difficult to eradicate the infection. Though the pure compound kills helicobacter efficiently, a number of studies are underway to determine whether dietary sources of sulforaphane (broccoli or broccoli sprouts, for instance) have similar effects.

Stroke     (#)

Sulforaphane reduces infarct volume following focal cerebral ischemia in rodents

Neuroscience Letters. 2005 Oct 15;
Jing Zhao, Nobuhide Kobori, Jaroslaw Aronowski and Pramod K. Dash
PubMed ID: 16233958

A study from the University of Texas Medical Center, published in Neuroscience Letters, found that sulforaphane was able to enter the rat's brain and if administered 15 minutes after focal ischemia (local interruption of the blood supply to the brain that mimics strokes), sulforaphane significantly reduced the size of cerebral damage, which is a measure of stroke damage.

The authors suggested that sulforaphane could offer several advantages as a therapeutic agent, as it can boost several enzymes involved in cellular defense, allowing it to act at multiple targets and also due to its long-lasting activity, might reduce the need for multiple dosages.

Vision     (#)

Sulforaphane Induces Thioredoxin through the Antioxidant-Responsive Element and Attenuates Retinal Light Damage in Mice.

Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005 Mar;46(3):979-87.
Masaki Tanito, Hiroshi Masutani, Yong-Chul Kim, Mai Nishikawa, Akihiro Ohira and Junji Yodoi.
doi:10.1167/iovs.04-1120
PubMed ID: 15728556

Induction of phase 2 genes by sulforaphane protects retinal pigment epithelial cells against photooxidative damage. (#)

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Vol. 101, no. 28, pp. 10446-10451. July 13, 2004.
Xiangqun Gao and Paul Talalay
doi:10.1073/pnas.0403886101
PubMed ID: 15229324
(Related press release)

Dr. Paul Talalay and his colleagues at Johns Hopkins University have discovered that sulforaphane boosts the level of a key enzyme that protects the eye from damage caused by UV light. That damage can lead to macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness among the elderly.

Powerful and prolonged protection of human retinal pigment epithelial cells, keratinocytes, and mouse leukemia cells against oxidative damage: The indirect antioxidant effects of sulforaphane.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Dec 18;98(26):15221-6.
Xiangqun Gao, Albena T. Dinkova-Kostova, and Paul Talalay
doi:10.1073/pnas.261572998
PubMed ID: 11752465

Sulforaphane, Glucosinolates and Isothiocyanates     (#)

Phenolic Michael Reaction Acceptors: Combined Direct and Indirect Antioxidant Defenses Against Electrophiles and Oxidants

Medicinal Chemistry, Vol. 3, pp. 261-268
Dinkova-Kostova AT, Cheah J, Zweier JL, Bozak RE, Hicks RJ and Talalay P
doi:10.2174/157340607780620680
PubMed ID: 17504197

The Metabolic Fate of Purified Glucoraphanin in F344 Rats

Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry Vol. 55(8) pp 2861 - 2866
Bheemreddy RM, Jeffery EH
doi:10.1021/jf0633544
PubMed ID: 17367161

Potent activation of mitochondria-mediated apoptosis and arrest in S and M phases of cancer cells by a broccoli sprout extract.

Mol. Cancer Ther. 2006 April; 5(4):935-44.
Tang L, Zhang Y, Jobson HE, Li J, Stephenson KK, Wade KL, Fahey JW.
PubMed ID: 16648564

Glutathione S-transferase M1 polymorphism and metabolism of sulforaphane from standard and high-glucosinolate broccoli

Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Dec;82(6):1283-91.
Amy V Gasper, Ahmed Al-janobi, Julie A Smith, James R Bacon, Paul Fortun, Clare Atherton, Moira A Taylor, Christopher J Hawkey, David A Barrett and Richard F Mithen
PubMed ID: 16332662

Extremely potent triterpenoid inducers of the phase 2 response: Correlations of protection against oxidant and inflammatory stress.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2005 Mar 22;102(12):4584-9. Epub 2005 Mar 14.
Dinkova-Kostova AT, Liby KT, Stephenson KK, Holtzclaw WD, Gao X, Suh N, Williams C, Risingsong R, Honda T, Gribble GW, Sporn MB, Talalay P.
doi:10.1073/pnas.0500815102
PubMed ID: 15767573

Bax and Bak Are Required for Apoptosis Induction by Sulforaphane, a Cruciferous Vegetable-Derived Cancer Chemoprotective Agent. (#)

Cancer Res. 2005 Mar 1;65(5):2035-43.
Sunga Choi, Shivendra Singh.
PubMed ID: 15753404
(Related press release)

Phytochemicals from Cruciferous Plants Protect against Cancer by Modulating Carcinogen Metabolism

J Nutr. 2001 Nov;131(11 Suppl):3027S-33S.
Paul Talalay and Jed W. Fahey
PubMed ID: 11694642

Potency of Michael reaction acceptors as inducers of enzymes that protect against carcinogenesis depends on their reactivity with sulfhydryl groups (#)

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Vol. 98, Issue 6, 3404-3409, March 13, 2001.
Albena T. Dinkova-Kostova, Michael A. Massiah, Richard E. Bozak, Ronald J. Hicks, and Paul Talalay.
PubMed ID: 11248091

Sensitivity to carcinogenesis is increased and chemoprotective efficacy of enzyme inducers is lost in nrf2 transcription factor-deficient mice. (#)

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2001 Mar 13;98(6):3410-5.
Minerva Ramos-Gomez, Mi-Kyoung Kwak, Patrick M. Dolan, Ken Itoh, Masayuki Yamamoto, Paul Talalay, and Thomas W. Kensler.
PubMed ID: 11248092
(JHMI Press release: Studies Show Powerful Natural Anti-Cancer System Exists: Goal Now: Fine Tune It)

Antioxidant functions of sulforaphane: a potent inducer of Phase II detoxication enzymes. (#)

Food Chem Toxicol 1999 Sep-Oct;37(9-10):973-9.
Jed W. Fahey, Paul Talalay.
PubMed ID: 10541453

Chemoprotection against cancer by phase 2 enzyme induction. (#)

Toxicol Lett 1995 Dec;82-83:173-9.
Talalay P, Fahey JW, Holtzclaw WD, Prestera T, Zhang Y.
PubMed ID: 8597048

Electrophile and Antioxidant Regulation of Enzymes that Detoxify Carcinogens (#)

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 1995 Sep 12;92(19):8965-9.
T Prestera and Paul Talalay.
PubMed ID: 7568053

Chemical and Molecular Regulation of Enzymes that Detoxify Carcinogens (#)

Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1993 Apr 1;90(7):2965-9.
T Prestera, WD Holtzclaw, Y Zhang and P Talalay.
PubMed ID: 8385353

Rapid Detection of Inducers of Enzymes that Protect Against Carcinogens (#)

Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1992 Mar 15;89(6):2394-8.
Prochaska HJ, Santamaria AB, Talalay P.
PubMed ID: 1549602

The Isolation of Sulforaphane in Broccoli     (#)

A Major Inducer of Anticarcinogenic Protective Enzymes from Broccoli: Isolation and Elucidation of Structure. (#)

Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1992 Mar 15;89(6):2399-403.
Y Zhang, P Talalay, C Cho and GH Posner
PubMed ID: 1549603

Higher Concentration In Broccoli Sprouts     (#)

Broccoli sprouts: An exceptionally rich source of inducers of enzymes that protect against chemical carcinogens. (#)

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, Vol. 94, pp. 10367-10372, September 16, 1997.
Jed W. Fahey, Yuesheng Zhang, and Paul Talalay
PubMed ID: 9294217

Sprout Safety     (#)

Pathogen detection, testing, and control in fresh broccoli sprouts (#)

Nutrition Journal 2006, 5:13
Jed W Fahey, Philippe J Ourisson and Frederick H Degnan
doi:10.1186/1475-2891-5-13
PubMed ID: 16630354
(Local full-text PDF copy)

The study published in this paper quantifies the effectiveness of our sprout safety program. The recent increased interest in consuming green vegetable sprouts has been tempered by the fact that fresh sprouts can in some cases be vehicles for food-borne illnesses. They must be grown according to proper conditions of sanitation and handled as a food product rather than as an agricultural commodity. When sprouts are grown in accordance with the criteria proposed from within the sprout industry, developed by regulatory agencies, and adhered to by many sprouters, green sprouts can be produced with very low risk. Contamination may occur when these guidelines are not followed.

Disease Prevention and Diet     (#)

Nutrition and cancer: A review of the evidence for an anti-cancer diet

Nutrition Journal 2004, 3:19
Donaldson, Michael S.
doi:10.1186/1475-2891-3-19

The Importance of Using Scientific Principles in the Development of Medicinal Agents in Plants

Academic Medicine 2001, 76(3):238-247.
Talalay, Pamela, Talalay, Paul..
PubMed ID: 11242573

The chemical diversity and distribution of glucosinolates and isothiocyanates among plants (#)

Phytochemistry 2001, 56:5-51.
Fahey, Jed W., Zalcmann, Amy T, Talalay, Paul.
PubMed ID: 11198818

The War Against Cancer: New Hope (#)

Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society, March 1999, Vol. 143(1), pp. 52-72.,
Talalay, Paul.

Other     (#)

Nrf2 activation by sulforaphane restores the age-related decline of Th1 immunity: Role of dendritic cells

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology,
Hyon-Jeen Kim, Ph.D., Berenice Barajas, B.S., Meiying Wang, M.D., and Andre E. Nel, M.D., Ph.D.
doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2008.01.016
(Science Direct.com)

Direct administration of sulforaphane in broccoli reversed the decline in cellular immune function in old mice, and witnessed similar results when they took individual immune cells from old mice, treated those cells with the chemical outside the body and then placed the treated cells back into a recipient animal. Dendritic cells, which introduce infectious agents and foreign substances to the immune system, were particularly effective in restoring immune function in aged animals when treated with sulforaphane. To investigate how the chemical in broccoli increased the immune system's response, the UCLA group confirmed that sulforaphane interacts with a protein called Nrf2, which serves as a master regulator of the body's overall antioxidant response and is capable of switching on hundreds of antioxidant and rejuvenating genes and enzymes. The researchers found that although there is a decline in Nrf2 activity with aging, this pathway remains accessible to chemicals like sulforaphane that are capable of restoring some of the ravages of aging by boosting antioxidant pathways.

Glutathione depletion inhibits dendritic cell maturation and delayed-type hypersensitivity: Implications for systemic disease and immunosenescence.

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 2007 May; 119(5):1225-33.
Kim H-J, Barajas B, Chan RC-F, Nel AE.
doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2007.01.016
PubMed ID: 17335885

Correlation analyses of phytochemical composition, chemical, and cellular measures of antioxidant activity of broccoli (Brassica oleracea L. Var. italica) (#)

J. Agric. Food Chem., 53 (19), 7421-7431, 2005.
Marian V. Eberhardt, Kanta Kobira, Anna-Sigrid Keck, John A. Juvik, and Elizabeth H. Jeffery
doi:10.1021/jf051495k
PubMed ID: 16159168

The role of Phase II antioxidant enzymes in protecting memory T cells from spontaneous apoptosis in young and old mice.

The Journal of Immunology, 175: 2948-2959.
Kim H-J, Nel AE.
PubMed ID: 16116181

The chemistry behind antioxidant capacity assays. (#)

J. Agric. Food Chem., 53 (6), 1841 -1856, 2005.
Dejian Huang, Boxin Ou, and Ronald L. Prior
doi:10.1021/jf030723c
PubMed ID: 15769103