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Therapeutic potential of sulforaphane in liver diseases: a review

Liang Yan1, Yachun Yan1

  • 1Department of Pharmacy, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.

Frontiers in Pharmacology
|September 14, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Sulforaphane (SFN) shows promise for treating liver diseases like fatty liver and cancer by reducing inflammation and oxidative stress. Further research is needed to overcome its delivery challenges for effective therapeutic use.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Pharmacology
  • Hepatology

Background:

  • Liver diseases, including metabolic-associated fatty liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma, pose a growing global health burden.
  • Current pharmacological treatments for these conditions are limited, necessitating the exploration of novel therapeutic agents.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To comprehensively review the therapeutic potential of Sulforaphane (SFN) in treating common liver diseases.
  • To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of SFN's hepatoprotective effects.
  • To discuss the challenges and future directions for SFN development as a liver disease treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent scientific literature on Sulforaphane (SFN) and liver diseases.
  • Analysis of studies investigating SFN's biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer effects.
  • Examination of clinical data regarding SFN's safety and bioavailability.

Main Results:

  • SFN demonstrates significant efficacy in ameliorating hepatic steatosis, preventing fatty liver development, and improving insulin sensitivity.
  • SFN exhibits potent anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties, including inducing apoptosis and inhibiting hepatoma cell proliferation.
  • Clinical studies confirm SFN's safety and good tolerability in humans.

Conclusions:

  • SFN is a promising candidate for treating liver diseases due to its multifaceted protective mechanisms.
  • Challenges such as SFN's instability, poor water solubility, and variable bioavailability require innovative strategies for its effective clinical application.
  • Further research into SFN delivery systems is crucial for realizing its full therapeutic potential in hepatoprotection.
Keywords:
Nrf2antioxidantautophagymetabolic liver diseasesulforaphane

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