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Supplementation of the Diet by Exogenous Myrosinase via Mustard Seeds to Increase the Bioavailability of Sulforaphane in Healthy Human Subjects after the Consumption of Cooked Broccoli

Olukayode Okunade, Keshavan Niranjan, Sameer K Ghawi, Gunter Kuhnle, Lisa Methven
Molecular Nutrition & Food Research 2018 62(18):e1700980

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 29806738
DOI
10.1002/mnfr.201700980

Study snapshot

DesignRandomized crossover feeding study
ModelHealthy adults
Sample12
Intervention200 g cooked broccoli consumed with or without 1 g powdered brown mustard seed as an exogenous myrosinase source
DurationAcute crossover feeding exposures
EndpointsUrinary sulforaphane-N-acetylcysteine; Sulforaphane bioavailability; Effect of exogenous myrosinase

What the study showed, in plain terms

Cooking deactivates much of broccoli's own myrosinase. In this crossover study, adding a small amount of mustard-seed powder to cooked broccoli markedly increased sulforaphane exposure, providing human proof that an external active myrosinase source can rescue conversion.

Key findings

Urinary sulforaphane-N-acetylcysteine was more than fourfold higher when cooked broccoli was consumed with mustard-seed myrosinase than when cooked broccoli was eaten alone.

What this study can and cannot tell us

Small acute feeding study with a pharmacokinetic endpoint. It supports the myrosinase principle but does not define a clinical outcome, optimal household mustard dose or long-term benefit.

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology