Consumption of Brussels sprouts results in elevated alpha-class glutathione S-transferase levels in human blood plasma.

The effect of consumption of glucosinolate-containing Brussels sprouts on alpha-class glutathione S-transferase levels in human blood plasma was investigated in 10 healthy, male, non-smoking volunteers. Following a 3-week run-in period, five volunteers continued on a glucosinolate-free diet during a subsequent 3-week intervention period (control group), while the other five (sprouts group) consumed 300 g of cooked Brussels sprouts per day, at the expense of 300 g of a glucosinolate-free vegetable. alpha-Class glutathione S-transferases were measured by radioimmunoassay. In the control group, similar alpha-class glutathione S-transferase levels were observed in both periods (P = 0.814), while in the sprouts group the alpha-class glutathione S-transferase levels were elevated by a factor of 1.4 (P = 0.002). We hypothesize that the elevated alpha-class GST levels in plasma reflect GST-alpha induction in tissues such as liver and small intestine under non-toxic conditions. The present findings indicate that alpha-class GST levels in plasma may be used as a biomarker for alpha-class GST levels in tissues. In addition, they support the results of epidemiologic studies that consumption of cruciferous vegetables may result in a decreased cancer risk.