Sulforaphene, or raphanin, is the main sulfur component found in radish seeds of Raphanus sativus and is also found in broccoli and red cabbage. It was first described by G. Ivanovics and S. Horvath in 1947. Sulforaphene inhibits activity of viruses, some fungi and various bacteria including Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Pneumococcus and Escherichia coli. The effect is stronger against Gram-positive than Gram-negative bacteria and against DNA than RNA viruses; it is suppressed by serum and by sulfur compounds such as hydrogen sulfide, mercaptoacetic acid, cystine and glutathione. The antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral effects from consuming radishes were recognized in traditional Chinese medicine. However, in the abstract to his 1947 paper, Ivanovics noted that because sulforaphene is highly toxic, it did not "hold the promise of a useful therapeutic agent".
