SGS Glucosinolate

SGS Glucosinolate

Increasingly, researchers are reporting people who consume large quantities of fruits and vegetables have a much lower risk of developing most types of cancer. Of the different types of vegetables available, the crucifersbroccoli, cauliflower and cabbageare particularly rich in natural substances that could support the bodys own defense systems while also suppressing tumor development. The phytochemicals in the crucifers, particularly sulforaphane, appear to offer specific anti-cancer benefits.

Since the early 1990s, more than 200scientific studies have supported the protective effects of broccoli and itsphytochemicals in particular. The bulk of the substantive research was conductedat Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Paul Talalay, Ph.D., is the John Jacob AbelDistinguished Service Professor of Pharmacology and director of the Laboratoryfor Molecular Sciences at Johns Hopkins, as well as the founder of The BrassicaChemoprotection Laboratory, which is dedicated to studying plants that mayprevent cancer development.

Talalay and colleagues first isolated and identifiedsulforaphane, a natural compound found in broccoli, in 1992. This dietaryconstituent has a specific ability to impact endogenous enzyme activity toprevent carcinogenesis (PNAS,89:2394-8, 1992). The scientific team investigated a method to measure theinduction of enzymes that detoxify carcinogens (phase 2 enzymes), and surveyedthe ability of Brassica crucifersto induce phase 2 enzyme activity.They isolated and identified sulforaphane aswell as specific isothiocyanates from SAGA broccoli (Brassicaoleracea italica), and found they were able to inducedetoxification enzymes, possibly explaining broccolis anticarcinogenicactivity.A chemically identical form of sulforaphanes glucosinolateprecursor, glucoraphanin, was trademarked as SGS glucosinolate.

Follow-up studies have investigated sulforaphanes abilityto induce phase 2 enzyme activity in cell culture and animal models. A studyusing human adult retinal pigment epithelial cells found treatment withsulforaphane markedly reduced oxidative toxicity through phase 2 enzymeinduction, and the protection persisted even after removal of the compound (PNAS,101, 28:10446-51, 2004). In addition, administration of dried broccoli sproutsthat were naturally rich in glucoraphanin to spontaneously hypertensive ratsdecreased oxidative stress, suggesting protection of the cardiovascular systemby induction of phase 2 enzymes (PNAS,101, 18:7094-9, 2004).

Additional research on specific types of cancers has found:

In addition to identifying the mechanism of action andinvestigating SGSs ability to induce phase 2 enzyme activity, Johns Hopkinsresearchers also looked into the best source of SGS. While different varietiesof broccoli varied in their levels of SGS, it was also discovered that the olderthe plant becomes, the lower the concentration of SGS (PNAS,94:10367-72, 1997). Three-day-old sprouts were found to have 10 to 100 times thelevel of SGS than older sprouts, while also having almost none of the lessdesirable indole glucosinolates.

Johns Hopkins holds a number of U.S. patents in the field ofisothiocyanates. The first patent (No. 5,411,986), covering the isolation andidentification of sulforaphane and its isothiocyanates, was granted in 1995. Five additional patents in the Johns Hopkins portfolio includemethods of preparation for preparing food products rich in glucosinolates. Themost recent patent (No. 6,521,818 B1) covers the development of achemoprotectant crucifer germ plasma, designed to produce seeds and plants withdesirable glucosinolate profiles.

Today, Johns Hopkins has licensed CS Agra to marketingredients covered under its scientific and intellectual property portfolio,including SGS glucosinolate.