Inter-individual Variation of Sulforaphane and Sulforaphane-Nitrile Excretion in Humans is Influenced by Gut Microbiome Composition

The glucosinolate glucoraphanin from broccoli can be converted to sulforaphane (SFN) or sulforaphane-nitrile (SFN-NIT) by endogenous plant enzymes or members of the gut microbiome. Human feeding studies typically observe high levels of inter-individual variation in absorption and excretion of SFN, however, the source of this variation is not fully known. Participants were fed broccoli or alfalfa sprouts and plasma, stool samples, and total urine was collected over 72 hours. SFN-metabolites were quantified in each tissue and participant gut microbiomes were profiled using 16S gene sequencing.