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Consumption of broccoli sprouts during late gestation and lactation confers protection against developmental delay

Antoinette T Nguyen1, Ashley M A Bahry1, Ke Qin Shen1

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Behavioural Brain Research
|April 4, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Dietary broccoli sprout supplementation may prevent fetal inflammatory response-induced neurodevelopmental issues. This study shows broccoli sprouts (BrSp) can mitigate growth restriction and behavioral delays in a rodent model.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Fetal inflammatory response is a known risk factor for cerebral palsy.
  • Currently, no preventive therapies exist for this condition.
  • Broccoli sprouts (BrSp) are a potent inducer of phase-II detoxification enzymes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of dietary broccoli sprout (BrSp) supplementation in preventing behavioral and pathological outcomes associated with fetal inflammation.
  • To assess BrSp's potential as a preventive therapy against inflammation-induced neurodevelopmental deficits.

Main Methods:

  • Pregnant rats were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to induce inflammation on embryonic days 19 and 20.
  • Broccoli sprout (BrSp) supplementation was administered to dams from embryonic day 14 through postnatal day 21.
  • Offspring underwent neurodevelopmental reflex testing and neuropathological analyses.

Main Results:

  • LPS-exposed pups exhibited significant growth restriction and delays in motor reflexes (hindlimb placing, cliff avoidance, gait).
  • Behavioral analysis revealed increased grooming and reduced center-box exploration in LPS pups.
  • BrSp supplementation improved birth weight, normalized neurodevelopmental reflexes, and reduced abnormal grooming in LPS-exposed offspring.

Conclusions:

  • Dietary BrSp supplementation during pregnancy shows promise in preventing fetal inflammation-induced growth restriction.
  • BrSp may be an effective strategy to mitigate neurodevelopmental delays and behavioral abnormalities in offspring exposed to prenatal inflammation.
Abstract

Keywords:
Broccoli sproutsDevelopmental delayMaternal inflammationPrevention

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