Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 22, 2025 2 hours, 1 minute ago
Medical News: A new study from Australian scientists has found that a natural compound found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables may help calm the dangerous “cytokine storm” seen in severe COVID-19, by strongly reducing key inflammatory signals in human immune cells exposed to the virus’s proteins.
A new study shows a phytochemical from broccoli reduces dangerous cytokines and calms over active immune
cells in lab tests
What is L sulforaphane
L-sulforaphane (often just called sulforaphane) is a powerful plant compound that gives broccoli, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts their strong smell and taste. It is well known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in the body, and it is considered safe for human use at reasonable doses. In this new lab study, researchers looked at whether L-sulforaphane could reduce the overactive immune response triggered by SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Who did the study?
The study was led by scientists from the Infection, Immunity and Global Health group at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Melbourne, Australia, together with the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Melbourne and the Epimed Program at the Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, also in Melbourne. The work was done in human blood immune cells in the lab, not in live patients or animals.
How the experiment worked
The researchers took blood samples from healthy adult volunteers and isolated their immune cells (called peripheral blood mononuclear cells, or PBMCs). They then exposed these cells to several important SARS-CoV-2 proteins, including the spike protein, nucleocapsid, envelope, and several non-structural proteins that help the virus replicate and hide from the immune system. Some cells were treated with L-sulforaphane before being exposed to the viral proteins (pre-treatment), and others were treated after exposure (post treatment), to mimic both prevention and treatment scenarios.
Key finding 1: Big drop in dangerous cytokines
The main result was that L-sulforaphane, especially at a higher concentration (10 micromolar), strongly reduced the release of several pro inflammatory cytokines that drive the “cytokine storm” in severe COVID-19. These included IL 2, IL 6, IL 10, GM CSF, IFN γ, and TNF α, all of which are linked to lung damage, organ failure, and death in critical patients. In many cases, the levels of these cytokines dropped all the way down to normal or even below normal levels after L sulforaphane treatment.
Key finding 2: Changes in immune cell types
The study also found that L-sulforaphane changed the mix of immune cells in the blood. It significantly reduced the number of classical monocytes, which are known to produce large amounts of inflammatory cytokines in severe COVID-19. At the same time, it increased the frequency of myeloid dendritic cells (mDCs), which are important for controlling the immune response and helping the body recover.
Key finding 3: Calming ove
r activated immune cells
Another important effect was that L-sulforaphane reduced the activation of monocytes and dendritic cells, as measured by lower levels of the CD40 activation marker on these cells. In severe COVID-19, highly activated immune cells can keep the inflammation going and damage tissues; by reducing CD40, L sulforaphane may help break this harmful cycle and allow the immune system to calm down.
What These Study Findings Means
This
Medical News report shows that in lab tests on human immune cells, L-sulforaphane can powerfully suppress the excessive inflammation caused by SARS-CoV-2 proteins, while also shifting the immune cell profile toward a less inflammatory state. These effects were seen both when the compound was given before and after exposure to the viral proteins, suggesting it might be useful both as a preventive measure and as a treatment for severe inflammation in COVID-19.
What the researchers conclude
The authors conclude that L-sulforaphane has broad anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects against SARS-CoV-2, and that these findings support the need for clinical trials to test whether it can safely and effectively reduce hyperinflammation in severe COVID-19 patients. They also suggest it might be helpful in managing long term inflammation in long COVID, where similar cytokines remain elevated and cause ongoing symptoms.
The study findings were published on a preprint server and are currently being peer reviewed.
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5929254
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Read Also:
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/coronavirus
https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/covid-19-herbs
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