Sulforaphane – The Magic Switch
With my pitiful but enthusiastic interest in ancestral cell biology, my current knowledge of SNPs (Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms are frequently called SNPs and are pronounced “snips”; they are the most common type of genetic variation among people. Each SNP represents a difference in a single DNA building block, called a nucleotide), and the journey to understand the epigenetic effects and adaptive magic we have, I have become focused on the up and down rating of various genes with reference and relevance to our current environment.
Imagine the evolution of the cell energy system – let’s begin with this thought – billions of years ago with the food sources that were developing, we could confidently speculate that the energy source was plant-based. Carbon dioxide, photons, and atmospheric energy were some of the energy sources, and biologically successful species need to be able to evolve and utilise these. Plants were the order of the day.
The various species that developed in the ever-increasing density of oxygen (that was a result of photosynthesis) started to change (by whatever as yet to be sorted events).
They cultivated the ability to use oxygen as an energy source and, as a result of the oxidation process, free radicals of oxygen and nitrogen were produced. (I guess free radicals also occurred in plant ancestors as their energy conversion also relied on a redox reaction). These free radicals are highly charged molecules and have the ability to damage cellular structures. Timely processing of these is required to prevent cellular organelle damage. They are also used as signals for cellular activity and, as such play, an important role in cell function. NOTHING IS WASTED; THERE IS A NICHE WAITING FOR EVERYTHING.
Nature will not tolerate vacuums.
So, we have a cell using a mix of nutrients to form useable sugars to provide energy and, in the process, we have free radicals being produced that will need to be managed. The management of these is via antioxidant systems. The cell has very effective mechanisms of free radical quenching that are switched on by the molecules available. Nature uses (and evolves with) whatever it has as a substrate, and the antioxidant system is commonly switched on by the phytochemicals that are available, and which are probably part of the development of the antioxidant system.
The most researched of these are the glucosinolates. These small, easily dispersed molecules are formed during the crushing of the vacuoles upon the ingestion and mastication of green leafy vegetables. Primitive species of plants contained them.
The reaction of the enzyme myrosinase with the glucosinolates (stored apart in the vacuoles of the leaf) form the molecule SULFORAPHANE. This is a major activator for our antioxidant system and initiates a massive cascade of antioxidants to protect our cells when they are under attack, such as by a coronavirus.