Effect of Orally Delivered Phytochemicals on Aging and Inflammation in the Skin

Oral sulforaphane (SF) delivery results in systemic protection of a wide variety of organ systems which The investigators hypothesize will also include the skin, based on animal studies and preliminary evidence in human volunteers. Since The investigators have only previously evaluated the ability of topical sulforaphane application to protect skin from UV-induced erythema, the next logical step is to evaluate the ability of oral delivery to affect the skin of healthy human volunteers. Curcumin is also a potent anti-inflammatory that acts upon different biochemical pathways from SF, and it is an antioxidant. It was discovered over a century ago, it has been the subject of well over a hundred clinical studies, and it has been an ingredient in common foods eaten by millions of people, for centuries. Before and after consumption of each of these common food ingredients, The investigators will: (a) measure the Phase 2 cytoprotective response in human skin, (b) determine whether it leads to reduced UV-induced erythema (reduced inflammation), (c) evaluate changes in age-related markers such as dermal elasticity, keratin and collagen levels, (d) measure advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in the serum, as biomarkers of systemic (including the skin) reduction in AGE levels, and (e) measure the levels of these biomarkers in skin punch biopsies. The investigators will also evaluate the effects of combined oral SF and curcumin. The investigators anticipate that there may be a true synergistic response between SF and curcumin, and the experiments designed herein are designed to show that synergy, if it exists.