Broccoli Consumption Impacts the Human Gastrointestinal Microbiota

BackgroundThe human gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota is increasingly linked to health outcomes; however, our understanding of how specific foods alter the microbiota is limited. Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli have been associated with cancer prevention as a result of their high levels of glucosinolates, especially glucoraphanin. The activation of glucoraphanin to its isothiocyanate form, sulforaphane, is dependent on the enzyme myrosinase. Myrosinase is naturally found in broccoli, but is degraded by cooking. It has been hypothesized that plasma sulforaphane observed in persons eating cooked broccoli may be related to glucoraphanin hydrolysis by microbial myrosinase. Myrosinase activity is greater in rodents who regularly consume cruciferous vegetables compared to those who do not, suggesting a priming effect on the microbiota. However, it remains to be discovered which members of the microbiota are responsible for this action in clinical populations. ObjectiveWe aimed to determine the impact of ...