Sulforaphane from broccoli attenuates inflammatory hepcidin by reducing IL-6 secretion in human HepG2 cells

Cancer is a worldwide health problem, notably liver cancer. Under inflammatory conditions, pro-inflammatory cytokine can stimulate the production of hepcidin, the principal hormone for controlling iron status, leading to iron deficiency and subsequent anaemia. Sulforaphane (SF), a broccoli-derived isothiocyanate (ITC), have been indicated to inhibit the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin (IL-6). Therefore, the impact of SF on IL-6 and hepcidin production in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in human cancer HepG2 cells was investigated. SF suppressed LPS-induced transcription and secretion of interleukin-6 (IL-6) after 24hrs of treatment at physiologically relevant concentration (2 mu M). This was associated with a decrease in hepcidin secretion. SF was not associated with any cellular toxicity, indicating the protective effect of SF against inflammatory responses including inflammatory hepcidin. This study revealed the potential usage of broccoli-derived SF as a functional food ingredient in attenuating the inflammation-induced hepatic hepcidin and reducing liver cancer risk development.