A research group led by Assistant Professor Shingo Kasamatsu and Professor Hide Ihara of the Graduate School of Science, Osaka Public University, has discovered that broccoli sprouts are a super-sulfur molecule that has attracted attention in recent years for its strong antioxidant activity and energy metabolism-improving effects. It was revealed that it is abundantly present in the shoots of
Supersulfur molecules are a general term for molecules that have a structure in which multiple sulfur atoms are connected in a linear chain, and are thought to play important functions in various biological phenomena such as infection defense and immune response.It is also expected to have potential as a new preventive/therapeutic drug for cancer, neurodegenerative diseases, stroke, inflammation, etc., and in recent years, it has been revealed that it has the ability to protect against new coronavirus and influenza virus infections. has been done.
Our research group has previously discovered that supersulfur molecules are abundant in vegetables of the Brassicaceae and Amaryllidaceae families.This time, we conducted a detailed analysis of changes in the supersulfur molecular weight of broccoli sprouts, which are new shoots of broccoli belonging to the Brassicaceae family, during the process from germination to growth.
As a result, broccoli sprouts contain a large amount of supersulfur molecules, about 7 times as much as mature broccoli, and as broccoli seeds develop roots, germinate, and grow, the supersulfur molecular weight increases dramatically. discovered.The supersulfur molecular weight increased approximately 5 times that of the seeds on the fifth day of germination.Furthermore, many completely unknown supersulfur molecule candidates whose molecular structures have not been determined were also detected among the supersulfur molecules in broccoli sprouts.
Broccoli sprouts are attracting attention as a functional food, as they contain tens of times more sulforaphane than mature broccoli, which is known for its detoxifying and antioxidative properties. It was suggested that supersulfur molecules may also be contributing.
In the future, it is expected that the identification of unknown supersulfur molecules contained in broccoli sprouts and analysis of their pharmacological activities will lead to the development of new functional foods and medicines based on supersulfur.
Paper information:[Redox Biology] Untargeted polysulfide omics analysis of alternations in polysulfide production during the germination of broccoli sprouts
