Vice President of Innovation Nutramax Laboratories Lancaster, SC, United States
Abstract: Background – Sulforaphane (SFN), derived from cruciferous vegetables, shows health benefits in multiple pathways, such as Nrf2-ARE transcription pathway, inducing phase 2 detoxification and antioxidative enzymes, and mediating the NF-κB pathway, a pro-inflammatory pathway. SFN bioavailability has been demonstrated in dogs.Objective – This study examined oral administration regimens on the Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic profiles in cats for a proprietary blend of glucoraphanin (SFN precursor) and myrosinase enzyme (ERS92®), and beta-glucan blend (maitake mushroom and yeast extract). Animals – Six healthy, neutered, male cats selected from a research facility.Methods – In this crossover study, with a 14-day washout between phases, 3 cats were administered a low-dose, and 3 were administered a high-dose in phase 1; doses were reversed for each group in phase 2. Cats were fasted 2 hours post-administration.Results – Plasma analysis revealed significant differences between doses for Cmax (p=0.004) and AUC (p=0002), with no significant differences in Tmax and T1/2. Urine analysis detected SFN metabolites in all cats. At 8 hrs, cats receiving the low-dose had an average 1.85-fold increased NQO1 gene expression, HO-1 gene expression was induced by 1.99-fold ensuring the NRf2 pathway was impacted. Gene expression returned to baseline at 24 h. Cats receiving the high-dose had a 1.47-fold increase in NQO1 gene expression at 8 h and 3.22-fold at 24 h. HO-1 was induced 1.92-fold at 8 h, and 2.65-fold at 24 h. Conclusion – SFN has shown health benefits in humans and dogs. This is the first study on cats and SFN. Additional research is necessary to identify clinical applications.
