Metabolic Fate of Dietary Glucosinolates and Their Metabolites: A Role for the Microbiome.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing mechanistic, preclinical, and human trial literature
PubMed 34631775 · doi:10.3389/fnut.2021.748433
What was done
The authors reviewed literature examining how the gut microbiome influences the metabolism, absorption, excretion, and bioactivity of dietary glucosinolates and isothiocyanates (such as sulforaphane) from cruciferous vegetables, as well as how cruciferous vegetable consumption alters the gut microbial environment.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative values or statistical comparisons. It summarizes that human feeding trials link variations in gut microbiome composition to differences in isothiocyanate absorption and excretion, that specific gut bacteria convert glucosinolates into isothiocyanates, and that dietary or microbial shifts can divert metabolism toward biologically inactive products like sulforaphane-nitrile.
Why it matters
Microbiome-mediated metabolism provides a plausible biological explanation for the substantial inter-individual variability observed in the bioavailability and clinical efficacy of dietary glucosinolates.
Limits
This is a narrative review presenting no primary clinical data, quantitative estimates, or systematic search parameters. Specific bacterial species, functional pathways, and effect sizes are not reported in the abstract.
Cited by
- supports All living human individuals tested harbor intestinal bacteria with myrosinase activity capable of converting glucoraphanin.