Antibacterial effects of sulforaphane - A phytonutrient derived from broccoli as promising candidate in the combat of bacterial infections.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Systematic review encompassing primarily in vitro, animal, and limited human mechanistic data
PubMed 40553560 · doi:10.1556/1886.2025.00028
What was done
A systematic literature review examining 28 reports assessing the antibacterial, immunomodulatory, and tissue-protective effects of sulforaphane (a Brassicaceae-derived isothiocyanate) across in vitro, in vivo, and human studies.
What was found
The abstract reports no quantitative values or effect sizes. Across the 28 included reports, sulforaphane was found to exert antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, reduce virulence factors such as biofilm formation and Shiga toxin production, enhance antibacterial immune responses with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, prevent aspirin-induced small intestinal cell injury, and alleviate Helicobacter pylori-induced gastritis.
Why it matters
Synthesizes current preclinical and clinical evidence supporting sulforaphane as an alternative phytonutrient candidate to counteract bacterial pathogens and infection-related tissue inflammation.
Limits
The abstract does not provide numerical effect sizes, sample sizes, or risk of bias assessments. The synthesis relies heavily on preclinical bench and animal models, and clinical efficacy in human bacterial infections remains to be established in rigorous trials.
Cited by
- context Sulforaphane exerts protective antimicrobial effects against Helicobacter pylori and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).