New Study: Broccoli flower bud extract or to treat autism

Source：Chinese plant extract network       Time:2014-11-21 11:20:35     Clicks:108

Autism therapy is a new member to make a chemical mixture extracted from broccoli flower buds (broccoli sprouts) in. Preliminary studies have found that this extract seems to be able to improve young people's social skills. But scientists warn that the study is only preliminary results still not reliable enough.

The extract contains a large number of species of sulforaphane, a compound which can effect against oxidative stress, inflammation and DNA damage, these disorders are associated with autism.

Sulforaphane also cause "heat shock response," which is the cell's defense mechanism against extreme temperatures. Some autistic children in behavior after bouts of fever has been significantly improved.

This makes the pediatric clinical professor of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Andrew Zimmerman guess whether sulforaphane can eliminate some of the symptoms of autism.

Zimmerman and Paul Talalay work together, Paul Talalay discovered 25 years ago sulforaphane, and in Baltimore created Brassica Protection Products Company, specializing in selling products containing broccoli extract.

Talalay recognition sulforaphane this extract only one component among the components, it also a lot of other types of compound.

The team recruited 40 people aged between 13-27 years old with autism, including 26 people in the 18 weeks to receive a dose of the extract daily. The remainder of the day to accept the consolation piece. The test was carried out in secret, meaning the participants and their families, and researchers do not know what each of them ate.

According to records of doctors and their families, patients taking the extract those taking some of their capacity has been significantly improved, such as the ability and verbal ability to communicate with others. These capabilities improve disappear within four weeks after the end of treatment. The sheet taking comfort group participants that they do not raise any aspect.

These findings imply that the potential for using this extract treatment of autism, but researchers cautioned not to exaggerate the effect. Zimmerman said: "I want to emphasize to people that this research needs to prove to be effective after repeated experiments."

Some independent researchers have the same opinion, pointing out that the control group had an unusual small placebo response.

John Jay Gargus director of the University of California, Irvine, autism research and treatment centers, said: "The piece will usually take comfort 20--25% improvement." Consolation piece would interfere with the gut hormone secretion and autism antidepressants role.

Gargus said: "The shocking is that, in this experiment did not play little role in comforting piece."

Anyway, the study of autism therapy opens a new door.

Child Health, University of Missouri professor Judith Miles, she was not involved in the study, she said:. "This is a great exploratory research will study the transition to physiological or cellular mechanisms of autism symptoms resulting"

The researchers conducted a questionnaire survey of parents to evaluate the patient's behavior: abnormal behavior checklist to measure irritability, drowsiness, stereotyped behavior and hyperactivity, social responsiveness. They also use the Clinical Global Impressions Scale to determine the severity of autism.

They used to measure baseline and repeatedly tested in the fourth, tenth, eighteenth, and the fourth week after the end of the experiment after they participated in experiments to test them. Clinical Global Impressions Scale according to test results, when participating in the experiment 18 weeks, accept broccoli extract therapy social skills and communication skills of participants has been significantly improved. This is the method of treatment of autism is no treatment of the two aspects.

Zimmerman said: "He does not change the diagnosis, but it has changed many features."

Test abnormal behavior checklist of 60% of the treatment group members has been significantly improved, while comforting piece group have 20 percent. Measuring social response capacity of the table in the treatment group and 35% of the members has been significantly improved, while comforting piece group did not.

After 4 weeks of treatment all test results are back to the original level.

Although the treatment of those members of the group in the experiment received an average of 18 weeks in a four pounds of extract, but not a participant adverse reactions.

There are two members of the emergence of seizures after the experiment is now in the treatment group. They have a history of seizures before taking part in the experiment, but they have not told researchers.

Not involved in the study, associate professor of psychiatry at Columbia University in New York Jeremy Veenstra-VanderWeele, he said: "I think the results are very attractive, I like the potential treatment of minimal side effects.."

But he and others still doubt whether such a result in the other experiments or more involved in autism. One suspicion is that the participants, 80% of people have some ability after bouts of fever improved historical experience. An estimated 30 percent of the survey to the moon with autism will be "heating effect." Veenstra-VanderWeele said: "This makes the selection of participants representative experiment is not so."

More importantly, extract the drugs chosen for the control group in the previous experiment was carried out in hundreds of patients with autism experimented comfort sheet.

Results of the study is still very attractive, after the need for more people with autism in the experiment.