A new study suggests that broccoli sprout extract could be protective against head and neck cancer. People who are cured of head and neck cancer are still at very high risk for a second cancer in their mouth or throat, and these second cancers are commonly fatal. So researchers are now developing a safe, natural molecule found in cruciferous vegetables to protect the oral lining where these cancers form.

Cruciferous vegetables or brassica vegetables are characterized by their strong aromas and bitter flavor. They include broccoli, arugula, cabbage, cauliflower and collard greens. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), cancer researchers are keen to study cruciferous vegetables as they contain a number of sulfur-containing chemicals known as glucosinolates. These substances are responsible for the smell and taste of these vegetables. When these glucosinolates are broken down, they form biologically active compounds. Researchers have previously found that some of these compounds can inhibit the development of cancer in some of the organs of mice and rats.

The research team focused on one such compound, sulforaphane. The effects of sulforaphane were tested on mice predisposed to oral cancer by Dr. Daniel E. Johnson, a senior scientist from the UPCI Head and Neck Cancer Program, and lead author Dr. Julie Bauman. They found that sulforaphane reduced both the incidence of oral cancer and the number of tumors that developed in the mice significantly. This finding led the researchers to test a mixture of fruit juice and broccoli sprout extract rich in sulforaphane on 10 healthy human volunteers. While no ill-effects occurred, the researchers detected certain protective changes in the lining of the volunteers’ mouths, suggesting that the compound was absorbed and directed toward the tissue in this area.

For further follow up studied, the researchers will conduct a clinical trial involving 40 participants who have previously received treatment for head and neck cancers and each participant will be given capsules containing broccoli seed powder. Dr.Bauman says that they call this process ‘green chemoprevention’, a process in which simple seed preparations or plant extracts are used to prevent disease.

The advantages of such a process are many. Besides preventing the cancers, green chemoprevention requires less money and fewer resources than a traditional pharmaceutical study, and could be more easily disseminated in developing countries where head and neck cancer is a significant problem.

Sulforaphane’s property of preventing oral cancer in mice raises hope that it may also act to prevent oral cancer in humans who face chronic exposure to environmental pollutants and carcinogens. Based on the results obtained so far researchers hope to conduct trials on a larger scale.

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