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CancerQuest > Introduction to Patient Information > Introduction to Cancer Prevention > Cancer Prevention: Plant Products (Phytochemicals) > Cancer Prevention: Sulforaphane

Cancer Prevention: Sulforaphane

               

Classified as:
Thioglucoside, Isothiocyanate

Structure of Sulforaphane

Intro and Background
Sulforaphane is mostly found in brassica vegetables (broccoli, cabbage, brussel sprouts, and cauliflower). ⁽¹⁾ These vegetables contain glucoraphanin which is naturally converted into sulforaphane in the body. It is this product that exhibits properties that may prevent cancer. ^{(2) (3)} In laboratory experiments, sulforaphane appears to prevent cancer cell growth by interrupting cell division and inducing apoptosis. ^{(4) (5)} This compound may also have beneficial effects against cardiovascular disease, neurological disorders, and the effects of aging. ⁽⁶⁾ Large population studies suggest that people who eat more brassica vegetables have a lower risk of developing cancer. ⁽⁷⁾

Please read our notice regarding CAM and chemopreventive methods.

Learn MORE about apoptosis

Scientific Research
Sulforaphane has been found to inhibit the growth of tumor cells and induce apoptosis in breast ⁽⁸⁾, ovarian ⁽²⁾, pancreatic ⁽⁹⁾, lung ⁽¹⁰⁾, and other cancer cells in vitro. In mice, treatment with sulforaphane has been shown to slow tumor growth. ⁽¹¹⁾ Another recent study showed that after people eat broccoli sprouts, the amounts of  particular enzymes  often increased in cancer, histone deacetylases (HDAC), were greatly reduced in the blood. ⁽⁶⁾ Research on the chemopreventative properties of sulforaphane has mainly focused on its ability to inhibit HDAC. HDACs are associated with altered levels of transcription of many genes.

Learn more about HDAC and cancer treatments.

Much research has been done to investigate sulforaphane's influence on cancer cells in vitro, but limited evidence is available for activity in animal models or humans.

For information about ongoing clinical trials involving sulforaphane, please visit our section on Finding Clinical Trials.

US Food and Drug Administration Approval
At this time there is not enough conclusive evidence that sulforaphane can effectively prevent cancer. For this reason, sulforaphane has not been approved for cancer prevention by the FDA.

References for this page:

1. Higdon JV, Delage B, Williams DE, Dashwood RH. Cruciferous vegetables and human cancer risk: epidemiologic evidence and mechanistic basis. Pharmacol Res. (2007) 55(3): 224-36. [PUBMED]
2. Chaudhuri D, Orsulic S, Ashok BT. Antiproliferative activity of sulforaphane in Akt-overexpressing ovarian cancer cells. Mol Cancer Ther. (2007) 6(1): 334-45. [PUBMED]
3. Singh SV, et al. Sulforaphane-induced cell death in human prostate cancer cells is initiated by reactive oxygen species. J Biol Chem. (2005). 280: 19911-24. [PUBMED]
4. Gamet-Payraste L. Signaling pathways and intracellular targets of sulforaphane mediating cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Curr Cancer Drug Targets. 2006 Mar;6(2):135-45 [PUBMED]
5. Pappa G, Stratham J, Lowinger M, Bratsch H, Gerhauser C. Quantitative combination effects between sulforaphane and 3,3'-diindolylmethane on proliferation of human colon cancer cells in vitro. Carcinogenesis. (2007) Feb 28. [PUBMED]
6. Dashwood RH, Ho E. Dietary histone deacetylase inhibitors: From cells to mice to man. Semin Cancer Biol. (2007) May 5 [PUBMED]
7. Rose P, Huang Q, Ong CN, Whiteman M. Broccoli and watercress suppress matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity and invasiveness of human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol (2005). [PUBMED]
8. Pledgie-Tracie A, Sobolewski MD, Davidson NE. Sulforaphane induces cell type-specific apoptosis in human breast cancer cell lines. Mol Cancer Ther. (2007) 6(3): 1013-21 [PUBMED]
9. Pham NA, Jacobberger JW, Schimmer AD, Cao P, Gronda M, Hedley DW. "The dietary isothiocyanate sulforaphane targets pathways of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and oxidative stress in human pancreatic cancer cells and inhibits tumor growth in severe combined immunodeficient mice." Mol.Cancer Ther. (2004) 3; 1239-1248. [PUBMED]
10. Jin CY, Moon DO, Lee JD, Heo MS, Choi YH, Lee CM, Park YM, Kim GY. Sulforaphane sensitizes tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand-mediated apoptosis through downregulation of ERK and Akt in lung adenocarcinoma A549 cells. Carcinogenesis. (2007) 28(5):1058-66. [PUBMED]
11. Myzak MC, Dashwood WM, Orner GA, Ho E, Dashwood RH. Sulforaphane inhibits histone deacetylase in vivo and suppresses tumorigenesis in Apcmin mice. FASEB J (2006) 20: 5068 [PUBMED]