A Comprehensive Pharmacological and Clinical Review of Broccoli (Brassica oleracea): From Allergenic Extract to a Source of Bioactive Sulforaphane

Executive Summary

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of broccoli (Brassica oleracea) within a pharmacological and clinical context, navigating its dual identity as both a source for a regulated allergenic extract and a rich reservoir of therapeutically significant phytochemicals. The substance identified in DrugBank as DB10511 is a non-standardized allergenic extract used exclusively for the percutaneous, intradermal, or subcutaneous diagnosis of Type I hypersensitivity to broccoli. This application stands in stark contrast to the vast body of scientific research focused on the health benefits of broccoli consumption, which are attributed not to its allergenic proteins but to its unique phytochemical profile.

The primary bioactive potential of broccoli stems from the glucosinolate-myrosinase system. The plant contains high concentrations of glucoraphanin, a stable but biologically inert glucosinolate. Upon tissue damage, such as chewing or cutting, the enzyme myrosinase is released, hydrolyzing glucoraphanin into sulforaphane—a highly reactive and potent isothiocyanate. Sulforaphane is responsible for the majority of broccoli's observed health benefits, acting as a powerful indirect antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent. Its principal mechanism of action is the potent activation of the Nrf2 transcriptional pathway, which upregulates a vast array of cytoprotective genes, including Phase II detoxification and antioxidant enzymes. Furthermore, sulforaphane exhibits pleiotropic anticancer activity through the induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and epigenetic modulation, including histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibition.