From collecting wild Brassicas in the 1980s, it has taken many years of conventional plant breeding, field trials and human studies into potential health benefits to deliver high glucoraphanin broccoli varieties to the public.

The Smarter Naturally is a resulting spin-out from the Quadram Institute. The company was formed with support from technology transfer specialists, PBL (Plant Bioscience Ltd).

Broccoli has long been considered a ‘superfood’, with a body of scientific studies finding that eating lots of cruciferous vegetables, and broccoli in particular, may help reduce the risk of various health conditions, such as type-2 diabetes, cancer, high cholesterol, heart disease and even some neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s. A key part of broccoli’s health-boosting effects is a naturally occurring compound called glucoraphanin.

When we eat broccoli, the glucoraphanin inside it is converted in our gut into its active form, called sulforaphane. Rather than acting directly on any one aspect of our health, sulforaphane helps improve the way our cells work at a very fundamental level, which in turn brings a wide range of benefits to many different aspects of our health.

Timeline

1984

Wild brassica with naturally raised levels of glucoraphanin identified during Richard Mithen’s PhD studies

1990

While working at the John Innes Centre he noted research regarding the anti cancer properties of glucaraphanin. He says, “Glucoraphanin helps people maintain a healthy metabolism, which is associated with a reduced risk of developing age-related health conditions like type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease.”

1998

After more than 10 years examining the plants, a successful cross between a conventional breed and the Sicilian variety was created, called Beneforté.

In collaboration with Plant Bioscience Limited (PBL) a priority patent is filed

2000

Licenced the broccoli to Seminis (worlds largest seller of veg seeds) who then developed commercial production varieties.

2002

Patents approved in Europe and USA (note that from 2003 to 2011) the patents were successfully defended.

2003

Moved the research to the Institute of Food Research (IFR). IFR transitioned into the Quadram Institute in 2017.

2003

Monsanto spends $1.5 billion acquiring Seminis

2010

Beneforte seeds go on sale.

2011

Benefore broccoli goes on sale at Marks and Spencer, Morrisons, Asda and Waitrose. Professor Douglas Kell, the BBSRC Chief Executive at the times says, “The roll-out of Benefore broccoli to supermarkets across the UK is great news for the public and UK science alike. Research discoveries have now been translated into commercial product, with significant potential health benefits, available to all.”

2013

Research suggests metabolic changes in study participants could be associated with a high glucoraphanin broccoli diet [i]

2015

Research suggests eating more glucoraphanin may help to maintain healthier cholesterol levels as we get older [iii]

2018

Bayer acquired Monsanto and all of its seed brands, including Seminis.

A further hybrid was developed for commercialisation which contained even higher quantities of glucoraphanin, called GRExtra.

2019

In collaboration with PBL a priority patent is secured for GRExtra.

Research suggests glucoraphanin can help maintain healthier blood sugar levels, a key biomarker for diabetes (iii).

Due to difficulties of securing a health claim for a fresh vegetable, the spin out company, “Smarter Food” was created to develop food products incorporating GRExtra.

2022

Smarter Naturally soup goes on sale containing the GRExtra strain of glucoraphanin rich broccoli.

Research suggests that a high glucoraphanin diet may slow prostate cancer (iv). Dr Tracey Livingstone, Urology registrar says, “Dietary interventions that provide glucoraphanin could benefit patients with prostate cancer”.

Outcomes

Smarter Food is expected to launch a product in the USA and double in size in the next 12 months.

Case studies discussing observed improvements for diabetes patients are available on the Smarter Naturally website.

In the UK, the NHS spends around £10 billion a year on diabetes. Any product that can help prevent the on-set of diabetes of other age-related conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases or neurodegenerative conditions could make a significant impact to society and the economy.

Download a PDF version of the broccoli based spin-out timeline

References
[i] Armah, C. N., Traka, M.H., Dainty, J.R., Defernez, M., Astrid Janssens, Leung, W., Doleman,  J., Potter, J.F., and Mithen, R.F.  A diet rich in high glucoraphanin broccoli interacts with genotype to reduce discordance in plasma metabolite profiles through modulating mitochondrial disfunction, Am J Clin Nutr 2013 98: 712-722. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.065235.
[ii] Armah, C.N. et al A diet rich in high glucoraphanin broccoli reduces plasma LDL cholesterol: evidence from randomised controlled trials”, Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/mnfr.201400863.
(iii) Traka MH, Melchini A, Coode-Bate J, Al Kadhi O, Saha S, Defernez M, Troncoso-Rey P, Kibblewhite H, O’Neill CM, Bernuzzi F, Mythen L, Hughes J, Needs PW, Dainty JR, Savva GM, Mills RD, Ball RY, Cooper CS, Mithen RF. Transcriptional changes in prostate of men on active surveillance after a 12-mo glucoraphanin-rich broccoli intervention-results from the Effect of Sulforaphane on prostate CAncer PrEvention (ESCAPE) randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019 Apr 1;109(4):1133-1144. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqz012. [iv) Livingstone, T.L.; Saha, S.; Bernuzzi, F.; Savva, G.M.; Troncoso-Rey, P.; Traka, M.H.; Mills, R.D.; Ball, R.Y.; Mithen, R.F. Accumulation of Sulforaphane and Alliin in Human Prostate Tissue. Nutrients 2022, 14, 3263. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14163263.

Funding
The research cited was supported by the Technology Strategy Board, UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and by the Prostate Cancer Foundation.