A high dietary intake of cruciferous vegetables has been associated with a reduction in numerous human pathologies particularly cancer. Sulforaphane is found in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli sprouts. Click on diet for healthy suggestions. I am not aware of a sulphoraphane supplement being sold at this time, although Broccoli Sprouts supplements are sold which have sulphoraphane in them. Sulforaphane may help detoxify certain body toxins. As of January of 2008, I am not aware of human research regarding the benefit of taking a sulforaphane supplement.

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Sulforaphane and skin disease
Sulforaphane may be helpful in treating epidermolysis bullosa simplex, a genetic skin disease that causes the skin to become fragile and blister easily from minor injuries or friction, such as rubbing or scratching. Blistering may affect the hands and feet and heals, while severe cases involve widespread blistering that can lead to infection, dehydration and may be life-threatening in infants. Dr. Pierre A. Coulombe, of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, believes most cases of epidermolysis bullosa simplex are due to mutations in the genes encoding the proteins keratin 5 (K5) or keratin 14 (K14), proteins that normally form skins cells. Perhaps topical sulforaphane to treat epidermolysis bullosa simplex may offer relief. In mice, sulforaphane treatment resulted in the production of skin cells that relieve the blistering caused by a K14 deficiency.

Sulforaphane research and breast cancer
Broccoli and watercress suppress matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity and invasiveness of human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells.
Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2005 Jun 10;
In the current study, we examined the inhibitory effects of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) and watercress (Rorripa nasturtium aquaticum) extracts on 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced cancer cell invasion and matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity using human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Aberrant overexpression of matrix metalloproteinases, including metalloproteinase-9, is associated with increased invasive potential in cancer cell lines. Our results demonstrate that extracts of broccoli and Rorripa suppressed TPA-induced MMP-9 activity and invasiveness in a concentration dependant manner as determined by zymographic analysis. Furthermore, fractionation of individual extracts followed by liquid chromatography mass spectroscopy analysis (LC-MS) revealed that the inhibitory effects of each vegetable were associated with the presence of 4-methysulfinylbutyl ( sulforaphane ) and 7-methylsulphinylheptyl isothiocyanates. Taken together, our data indicate that isothiocyanates derived form broccoli and Rorripa inhibit metalloproteinase 9 activities and also suppress the invasive potential of human MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in vitro. The inhibitory effects observed in the current study may contribute to the suppression of carcinogenesis by diets high in cruciferous vegetables.

Sulforaphane and prostate cancer
Sulforaphane -induced cell death in human prostate cancer cells is initiated by reactive oxygen species.
J Biol Chem. 2005 May 20;280(20):19911-24. Epub 2005 Mar 11.
We have shown previously that sulforaphane, a constituent of many edible cruciferous vegetables including broccoli, suppresses growth of prostate cancer cells in culture as well as in vivo by causing apoptosis, but the sequence of events leading to cell death is poorly defined. These observations indicate that Sulforaphane -induced ROS generation is probably mediated by a nonmitochondrial mechanism involving GSH depletion as well as a mitochondrial component. Ectopic expression of Bcl-xL, but not Bcl-2, in PC-3 cells offered significant protection against the cell death caused by Sulforaphane. In addition, SFN treatment resulted in an increase in the level of Fas, activation of caspase-8, and cleavage of Bid. Furthermore, SV40-immortalized mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from Bid knock-out mice displayed significant resistance toward Sulforaphane -induced apoptosis compared with wild-type MEFs. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that Sulforaphane -induced apoptosis in prostate cancer cells is initiated by ROS generation and that both intrinsic and extrinsic caspase cascades contribute to the cell death caused by this highly promising cancer chemopreventive agent.

Sulforaphane and retinal health
Sulforaphane induces thioredoxin through the antioxidant-responsive element and attenuates retinal light damage in mice.
Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2005 Mar;46(3):979-87.
Thioredoxin is a multifunctional endogenous redox regulator that protects cells against various types of cellular or tissue stresses. This study was conducted to test whether sulforaphane, a naturally occurring isothiocyanate that is highly concentrated in broccoli sprouts, induces Thioredoxin in retinal tissues and whether pretreatment with sulforaphane protects against light-induced retinal damage in mice. Sulforaphane induced Thioredoxin in murine retina and effectively reduced retinal light damage. Evidence suggests that the ARE is involved in the mechanism of Thioredoxin induction by sulforaphane in RPE cells.