Do you know the difference between glucoraphanin and sulforaphane?

What Is Glucoraphanin?

Glucoraphanin is found in many cruciferous plants, and the content of glucoraphanin in broccoli sprouts is much higher than that in other plants and their own mature tissues, and is often used as a source of plant extraction. In plants, glucoraphanin as a precursor exists in vacuoles and is separated from β-glucosidase located in specific protein bodies by a biomembrane system. When plant tissue cells are destroyed during extraction or processing, glucoraphanin contacts enzymes and initiates rapid hydrolysis of glucosidase, resulting in a variety of biodegradation products including Sulforaphane and sulforaphane nitrile. Therefore, in order to prevent enzyme degradation loss, the prior art usually inactivates β-glucosidase in plants during processing to reduce the loss of glucoraphanin.

Although inactivating β-glucosidase in plants is beneficial to the preservation of glucoraphanin in products, glucoraphanin needs to be converted into sulforaphane in the body to exert its activity. According to literature reports, glucoraphanin is mainly converted into sulforaphane by the β-sulfosidase-myrosinase contained in the intestinal probiotic flora such as Bulgarian bacteria and Bifidobacterium in the human intestine, and then absorbed by the human body and exerts a series of effects. The inventors unexpectedly found in their research that due to individual differences, the conversion efficiency of glucoraphanin in vivo is not ideal and varies greatly, usually varying from about 10% to 50%, and most of the glucoraphanin cannot be converted into sulforaphane and absorbed. Therefore, if the efficiency of glucoraphanin conversion to sulforaphane in the intestine can be improved, it may help to better exert its effects.

The Relationship Between Glucoraphanin And Sulforaphane

(1) Scientific version: Precursor substance (glucoraphanin) and active form (sulforaphane)

Glucoraphanin can be transformed into the active substance sulforaphane under the action of human intestinal flora or myrosinase, and sulforaphane can then activate the Nrf2 signaling pathway of human cells to play a variety of health effects such as anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, detoxification, and immune regulation.

(2) Popular version: Passerby A before awakening (glucoraphanin) and superman after awakening (sulforaphane)

Glucoraphanin has always existed in the plant world in a quiet and stable form until it is eaten by organisms or under the action of corresponding enzymes, it will be instantly "unsealed" and become a "vigorous" super Nrf2 regulating active substance - sulforaphane, which then plays a variety of health effects.

Is There Any Relationship Between Glucoraphanin And Sulforaphane And Radish?

Actually, the word "radish" in sulforaphane and glucoraphanin comes from the fact that glucoraphanin was found in radish. However, in reality, the amount of glucoraphanin and sulforaphane in radish is so small that it can be said that they are almost irrelevant!

What Are The Functions Of Glucoraphanin?

‌Antibacterial effect‌: Glucoraphanin also helps to remove bacteria from the lungs. When influenza virus infection or some other viral infections are prolonged and often complicated by bacterial infection, which further aggravates the inflammatory response of the lungs, glucoraphanin can remove pulmonary effusion, dredge microbronchial tubes, and improve symptoms such as dyspnea.‌ ‌

Reduce fatigue recovery after exercise‌: After proper exercise training, the body will produce fatigue. If it cannot be recovered in time, it may lead to adverse consequences such as mental depression, difficulty concentrating, and decreased immune function. Glucoraphanin can help reduce this post-exercise fatigue and promote physical recovery because it can activate the Nrf2 signaling pathway and initiate the transcription of more than 500 downstream cell protection enzymes, including a variety of important antioxidant enzymes and detoxification enzymes, thereby removing excessive free radicals and toxic substances in the body, maintaining free radical balance, enhancing immune system function, and improving physical fitness.

‌What Is The Application Of Glucoraphanin?

In the field of health and medical research‌, glucoraphanin and its derivatives (such as sulforaphane) have antioxidant and antibacterial activities, can activate the Nrf2 signaling pathway, and activate various cell protective effects such as detoxification, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. .

‌In the field of beauty‌, sulforaphane can scavenge free radicals, reduce oxidative stress damage to skin cells, and prevent and reduce the formation of spots through its powerful antioxidant capacity. It can also significantly inhibit tyrosinase activity, reduce melanin production, exert an antioxidant effect by activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway, enhance cellular antioxidant capacity, and reduce pigmentation caused by inflammation.