Broccoli: its anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and healing values

Elizabeth H Jeffery, Professor Emerita University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA

Anand et al, Pharm. Res. 25: 2097, 2008

30 30-35% of cancers may be related to diet

Brassica vegetables decrease our relative risk for cancers more effectively than do vegetables in general

Risk Decrease (%)

All vegetables 25% (p=0.43) Colon

Brassica 49% (p=0.004) (low: high intake)

All vegetables 19% (p=0.15) Prostate

Brassica 46% (p=0.01) (<1:>3 servings/wk)

Voorrips et al, 2000; Cohen et al, 2000

Brassica veggies prevent cancer more

effectively in people at high risk:

Brassica/ non-smokers 0.70 (ns) Lung

Brassica /smokers 0.31 (p<0.05) (Zhao et al, 2001)

Cardiovascular disease Prevention with Broccoli Risk is lower for myocardial infarct (MI) in those eating ~5 servings of broccoli a week

Low Intake Mid Intake High Intake Servings/ day 0.08 0.43 0.86 Risk for MI (OR) 1.00 0.88 0.63

P=0.001

Cornelis et al, 2007

Cardiovascular disease prevention with dietary broccoli

Low Intake Mid Intake High Intake Servings/ day 0.08 0.43 0.86 Non-smokers Risk for MI 1.00 0.95 0.76 P=0.007 Smokers Risk for MI 100 0.79 0.48 P=0.001

Cornelis et al, 2007

Why are Brassica vegetables so protective ?

Vegetable Antioxidant Capacities

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

180

200G

arl

ic

Kale

Sp

inach

Bru

ssels

Alf

alf

a s

pro

uts

Bro

ccoli

Beets

Red

bell

On

ion

Corn

Cau

lifl

ow

er

Pota

to

Cab

bag

e

Carr

ot

Leaf

Lett

uce

Iceb

erg

Cu

cu

mb

er

Cele

ry

Yellow

sq

uash

Str

ing

Bean

Green Tea 814 Black Tea 927

Adapted from Cao et al. 1996 J Agric. Food Chem. 44, 3426-31

Fiber

Minerals:Ca, Mn, Mg, Se

Glucosinolates*

Flavonoids

Selenium

Vitamins A, C,

E, folate

* Essentially Unique to the Brassica

Nutrients Phytonutrients

(Bioactives)

Glucosinolate profile varies across Brassica vegetables; glucoraphanin is the predominant glucosinolate in broccoli

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Bro

ccol

i

Bru

ssels

Cab

bage

Cau

liflo

wer

Kal

e

progoitrin

glucoraphanin

glucobrassicin

sinigrin

S

C

O

N O SO3-

S C6H11O5

Anticarcinogen

Myrosinase

S

C

O

N O SO3-

S C6H11O5

S

N

O

C S

Glucoraphanin

Sulforaphane

Glucose

Inflammation may be a common factor

sulforaphane

Cancer sulforaphane

Cardio-vascular Disease sulforaphane

sulforaphane

Cardio-vascular Disease

Cancer

sulforaphane

sulforaphane

Noah et al, 2014

There are some differences between humans and mice – but many similarities, especially at physiological levels

Control diet High fat and sugar diet High fat and sugar + broccoli

Dietary broccoli inhibits accumulation of fat in the livers of mice fed a Western-style high fat and high sugar diet. (values are score of fatty liver disease)

Data are mean±SD . t-test: *p<0.05, ***p<0.001 v.s. C; #p<0.05 v.s. W

sulforaphane

Cardio-vascular Disease

Cancer

sulforaphane

sulforaphane

Plasma

sulforaphane

Urinary

sulforaphane

Fresh: Closed circles and bars Cooked: Open circles and bars

Saha et al, Molecular Nutrition & Food Research 56: 1906-1916, 2012

Glucosinolate content varies with genotype and environment – weather and agricultural practices such as nitrogen and sulfur levels and the spraying crops with elicitors, like Methyl Jasmonate

The concentration of bioactives varies across broccoli cultivars; n = 51 varieties of broccoli

Component Mean value Range

Glucoraphanin 7.1a 0.8–21.7

Aliphatic glucosinolates

10.5a 3.0–31.4*

Indolyl glucosinolates

1.9a 0.4–6.2

a: μmol/g dry wt. *: sulforaphane is the major aliphatic glucosinolate product

Kushad et al, 1999

Anticarcinogen

Myrosinase

S

C

O

N O SO3-

S C6H11O5

S

N

O

C S

Glucoraphanin

Sulforaphane

Glucose

Wang et al, 2012

• In the USA, Demand tripled

between 1980 and today

• Frozen broccoli accounts for

over 60% of that : reduction in cost, increased shelf life, less waste

• Blanched before freezing, kills myrosinase (Dosz and

Jeffery, 2014)

ERS, Yearbook 2011; Summary, NASS 2011

Water cress Arugula Kohlrabi Rutabaga Wasabi Drumsticks Chinese

cabbage

All Vegetables in the plant order Capparales (including

brassicaceae family) provide myrosinase

SUMMARY Broccoli offers protection far greater than just antioxidant activity Dietary amounts of broccoli positively impact health (3-5 servings/ week) Too much cooking can destroy the benefit, so eat a raw brassica with the meal

Acknowledgements: Research Collaborators: Kang-Mo Ku and Jack Juvik:

plant growth and phytochemical analysis; Nilanjan Das

and Mark Berhow: isolation of neoglucobrassicin and

bioactivity.

This work was

funded by a

grant from the

United States

Department of

Agriculture

(USDA/NIFA

AFRI 2010-

65200-20398)