Modulation of the metabolism of airborne pollutants by glucoraphanin-rich and sulforaphane-rich broccoli sprout beverages in Qidong, China.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized crossover trial
PubMed 22045030 · doi:10.1093/carcin/bgr229
What was done
A randomized crossover trial in Qidong, China evaluated the effect of two broccoli sprout-derived beverages—one sulforaphane-rich (SFR) and one glucoraphanin-rich (GRR)—on airborne pollutant metabolism. Fifty healthy adults were randomized to receive a 5-day run-in, 7 days of one beverage, a 5-day washout, and 7 days of the alternate beverage. Urinary excretion of mercapturic acids for acrolein, crotonaldehyde, ethylene oxide, and benzene was quantified pre- and post-intervention using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
What was found
Statistically significant increases of 20% to 50% in the urinary excretion of glutathione-derived conjugates of acrolein, crotonaldehyde, and benzene were observed in individuals receiving SFR, GRR, or both compared to pre-intervention baseline values. No significant differences were observed between the effects of SFR versus GRR.
Why it matters
This demonstrates that dietary glucosinolates and sulforaphane can rapidly enhance the clearance and metabolic detoxication of volatile environmental pollutants in exposed populations.
Limits
The sample size was small (n = 50), intervention periods were short (7 days), and participants were limited to one rural Chinese farming township. The study measured surrogate urinary excretion biomarkers rather than clinical disease outcomes, and the abstract does not report a non-broccoli placebo arm.
Cited by
- supports Sulforaphane increases the urinary excretion of environmental toxins such as benzene and acrolein by up to 60% in humans.