Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Chiba-Ken, Tokyo, Japan. ayanaka@rs.noda.tus.ac.jp

The isothiocyanate sulforaphane [SF; 1-isothiocyanato-4(R)-methylsulfinylbutane] is abundant in broccoli sprouts in the form of its glucosinolate precursor (glucoraphanin). SF is powerfully bactericidal against Helicobacter pylori infections, which are strongly associated with the worldwide pandemic of gastric cancer. Oral treatment with SF-rich broccoli sprouts of C57BL/6 female mice infected with H. pylori Sydney strain 1 and maintained on a high-salt (7.5% NaCl) diet reduced gastric bacterial colonization, attenuated mucosal expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta, mitigated corpus inflammation, and prevented expression of high salt-induced gastric corpus atrophy. This therapeutic effect was not observed in mice in which the nrf2 gene was deleted, strongly implicating the important role of Nrf2-dependent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory proteins in SF-dependent protection. Forty-eight H. pylori-infected patients were randomly assigned to feeding of broccoli sprouts (70 g/d; containing 420 micromol of SF precursor) for 8 weeks or to consumption of an equal weight of alfalfa sprouts (not containing SF) as placebo. Intervention with broccoli sprouts, but not with placebo, decreased the levels of urease measured by the urea breath test and H. pylori stool antigen (both biomarkers of H. pylori colonization) and serum pepsinogens I and II (biomarkers of gastric inflammation). Values recovered to their original levels 2 months after treatment was discontinued. Daily intake of sulforaphane-rich broccoli sprouts for 2 months reduces H. pylori colonization in mice and improves the sequelae of infection in infected mice and in humans. This treatment seems to enhance chemoprotection of the gastric mucosa against H. pylori-induced oxidative stress.

PMID: 19349290 [PubMed - in process]

27 mei 2002: Bron: St. John's Hopkins Universiteit

Onderzoekers hebben gevonden en daarmee bewezen dat broccoli en broccolispruiten indien gegeten bij muizen een stof sulforaphane aanmaken die de bacterie doodt die verantwoordelijk is voor het ontstaan van maagkanker. (zie ook studie/bericht op deze pagina die bewijst dat de bacterie Heliobacter pylori oorzaak is van maagkanker) Broccoli en broccolispruiten produceren volgens de onderzoekers aan de St. John's Hopkins Universiteit voldoende van de stof sulforaphane om de bacterie heliobacter te doden. Deze studie is gepubliceerd in een tijdschrift van de Nationale Academie voor Wetenschap in de USA. Volgens Dr. Paul Talalay, co-onderzoeker aan St. Hopkins kan deze vondst enorm belangrijk zijn voor de preventie van kanker. Volgens hem zijn in met name veel landen in Zuid-Amerika, Azië en Africa 80 tot 90% van de mensen door slechte voedingsomstandigheden geïnfecteerd met deze bacterie. De onderzoekers die hun bevindingen gevonden hebben bij muizen gaan nu trials opzetten met mensen. Broccoli en broccolispruiten zijn zeer aanbevolen in bv. het Houtsmullerdieet en het Gersondieet. Onderstaand het persbericht zoals ik dat vandaag d.d. 27 mei 2002 kreeg toegestuurd.

-- DJ Cancer Researchers: Broccoli Helps Fight Stomach Bacteria --

WASHINGTON (AP)--Broccoli and broccoli sprouts contain a chemical that kills
the bacteria responsible for most stomach cancer, say researchers, confirming
the dietary advice that moms have been handing out for years.
In laboratory tests the chemical, sulforaphane, killed helicobacter pylori, a
bacteria that causes stomach ulcers and often fatal stomach cancers.
And the good news is there appears to be enough of it in broccoli sprouts and
some varieties of broccoli to benefit people who eat the vegetables.
"The levels at which we tested it ... are such that those could be achieved by
eating broccoli or broccoli sprouts. It's a reasonable level that we think would
be reached in the stomach," said Jed W. Fahey of the Johns Hopkins University
School of Medicine.
The findings are reported in Tuesday's issue of Proceedings of the National
Academy of Science.
"I feel quite comfortable suggesting people eat more fruits and vegetables,
specifically cruciferous vegetables, specifically broccoli," Fahey said. "We
know it's safe and healthy ... we know sulforaphane is effective in protecting
against cancers."
Dr. Paul Talalay, a co-researcher at Johns Hopkins, had previously reported
sulforaphane is an effective anticancer agent and the new studies extended that
work to the bacteria that causes stomach cancer and ulcers.
In the lab, the scientists found that sulforaphane even killed helicobacter
that was resistant to commonly used antibiotics.
They also showed it can kill the bacterium whether it's inside or outside
cells. In people the bacteria can hide in cells lining the stomach, making it
more difficult to get rid of the infection, said Fahey.
The studies concentrated on mice and the researchers will now seek to
determine of the same effect occurs in humans.
"If future clinical studies show that a food can relieve or prevent diseases
associated with this bacterium in people, it could have significant public
health implications in the United States and around the world," Fahey said.
"In some parts of Central and South America, Africa and Asia, as much as 80%
to 90% of the population is infected with helicobacter, likely linked to poverty
and conditions of poor sanitation," said Fahey, a plant physiologist.
The bacteria can usually be treated with antibiotics, but these are too costly
and scarce in many parts of the world, he noted.
Perhaps "people in some of these very poor areas, where it's almost impossible
to even conceive of antibiotic therapy ... might, by a relatively minor change
in diet, be able to heal themselves," he said.
Dr. Carlos F. Quiros of the University of California, Davis, said he was not
surprised by the findings, commenting that many compounds found in vegetables
inhibit the growth of pathogens.
Sulforaphane has been shown to have anticancer properties, Quiros said, but
the amount present varies widely among varieties of broccoli. Quiros, who was
not part of Fahey's research group, said he is doing research to develop
varieties of broccoli with higher levels of the chemical.
The paper also noted that Fahey, Talalay and Johns Hopkins University own
stock in Brassica Protection Products, a company whose mission is to develop
chemoprotective food products and which sells broccoli sprouts.
Working with them on the research was a group of scientists from the French
National Scientific Research Center led by Alain Lozniewski.