How does sulforaphane (SFN) delay fibroblast senescence, and what is the connection between Nrf2 activation, glucose metabolism, and oxidative damage in this process?
Broccoli Sprout Sulforaphane (Oxid Med Cell Longev 2018, PMID 30595796) — senescence was associated with increased glucose metabolism through glycolysis, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage. No numeric effect size is reported for Broccoli Sprout Sulforaphane in the source abstract.
Source: Oxid Med Cell Longev 2018, PMID 30595796 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: low
Oxid Med Cell Longev · 2018 · PMID 30595796 · DOI 10.1155/2018/5642148
Sulforaphane delays cell aging by reducing sugar uptake and metabolism, which lessens cellular damage.
The question
How does sulforaphane (SFN) delay fibroblast senescence, and what is the connection between Nrf2 activation, glucose metabolism, and oxidative damage in this process?
What they tested
Sulforaphane (SFN) delays fibroblast senescence by activating Nrf2, which in turn curbs cellular glucose uptake and glycolysis, thereby reducing oxidative damage.
How they did it
The study investigated the effects of sulforaphane (SFN) on senescence in human MRC-5 and BJ fibroblasts. Researchers observed changes in glucose metabolism, hexokinase-2 expression, 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, thioredoxin-interacting protein expression, and clearance of transglutaminase cross-linked proteins.
What they found
SFN activated Nrf2 and delayed senescence in human MRC-5 and BJ fibroblasts. Senescence was associated with increased glucose metabolism through glycolysis, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative damage. SFN delayed senescence by decreasing glucose metabolism, exhibiting a caloric restriction mimetic-like activity, and reducing oxidative damage to cell protein and DNA. This was linked to increased thioredoxin-interacting protein, decreased hexokinase-2 and 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase, and increased glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. SFN also enhanced the clearance of transglutaminase cross-linked proteins, which typically increase in senescence.
What it means
Sulforaphane delays fibroblast senescence by curbing cellular glucose uptake and glycolysis, mimicking caloric restriction, and reducing oxidative damage. This mechanism involves the modulation of key enzymes and proteins involved in glucose metabolism and protein clearance.
Limitations
The abstract does not explicitly state any limitations of the study.
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The paper at a glance
| Title | Sulforaphane Delays Fibroblast Senescence by Curbing Cellular Glucose Uptake, Increased Glycolysis, and Oxidative Damage |
|---|---|
| Journal | Oxid Med Cell Longev |
| Year | 2018 |
| PMID | 30595796 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.1155/2018/5642148 ↗ |
| Topic | Metabolic health, glucose & body composition |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
Where Magellan uses this paper
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Broccoli Sprout Sulforaphane
Human trials indicate that concentrated broccoli-sprout sulforaphane can modestly lower fasting blood glucose and glycated hemoglobin, most clearly in obese or dysregulated type 2 diabetes and in a subset of people with prediabetes;
Sulforaphane is an isothiocyanate phytochemical formed when the plant enzyme myrosinase acts on…
Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.
Molecules & mechanisms in this paper
Each of these is named in the paper’s own words above. Open the monograph for the full mechanism and its other citations.
Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). How does sulforaphane (SFN) delay fibroblast senescence, and what is the connection between Nrf2 activation, glucose metabolism, and oxidative damage in this process? [Plain-English summary of Oxid Med Cell Longev 2018, PMID 30595796, DOI 10.1155/2018/5642148]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d30595796.html@misc{magellan_d30595796,
title = {How does sulforaphane (SFN) delay fibroblast senescence, and what is the connection between Nrf2 activation, glucose metabolism, and oxidative damage in this process?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/d30595796.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 30595796; DOI 10.1155/2018/5642148; Oxid Med Cell Longev 2018. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
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