Broccoli Sprouts Promote Sex-Dependent Cardiometabolic Health and Longevity in Long-Evans Rats

Ronan M. N. Noble, Forough Jahandideh, Edward A. Armstrong, Stephane L. Bourque () and Jerome Y. Yager ()
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Ronan M. N. Noble: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G3, Canada
Forough Jahandideh: Women and Children’s Health Research Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada
Edward A. Armstrong: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G3, Canada
Stephane L. Bourque: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G3, Canada
Jerome Y. Yager: Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G3, Canada

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 20, 1-14

Abstract: Antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds are potential candidates to prevent age-related chronic diseases. Broccoli sprouts (BrSp) are a rich source of sulforaphane—a bioactive metabolite known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. We tested the effect of chronic BrSp feeding on age-related decline in cardiometabolic health and lifespan in rats. Male and female Long-Evans rats were fed a control diet with or without dried BrSp (300 mg/kg body weight, 3 times per week) from 4 months of age until death. Body weight, body composition, blood pressure, heart function, and glucose and insulin tolerance were measured at 10, 16, 20, and 22 months of age. Behavioral traits were also examined at 18 months of age. BrSp feeding prolonged life span in females, whereas in males the positive effects on longevity were more pronounced in a subgroup of males (last 25% of survivors). Despite having modest effects on behavior, BrSp profoundly affected cardiometabolic parameters in a sex-dependent manner. BrSp-fed females had a lower body weight and visceral adiposity while BrSp-fed males exhibited improved glucose tolerance and reduced blood pressure when compared to their control counterparts. These findings highlight the sex-dependent benefits of BrSp on improving longevity and delaying cardiometabolic decline associated with aging in rats.

Keywords: aging; behavior; blood pressure; broccoli sprouts; cardiovascular function; glucose metabolism; longevity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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