En bref — Nootropics Depot has launched SulfoMax, a powder supplement in which sulforaphane conversion from glucoraphanin takes place outside the body, in the glass, before ingestion. The prepared product is then assayed: 27 mg of sulforaphane per serving measured in a laboratory. The process shifts the reliability of the brassica ingredient from the gut to upstream quality control.
Sulforaphane conversion no longer takes place in the consumer’s gut, but in a glass of water before they drink it. Nootropics Depot has launched SulfoMax, a powder in which the reaction between glucoraphanin and myrosinase is completed outside the body, after nearly two years of formulation work. The company states 27 mg of sulforaphane per serving, measured in a laboratory on the prepared product, not calculated from the raw material. For a brassica supply chain that has struggled for years with the instability of this molecule, the shift is stark: the quality control point moves from digestive physiology to the factory.
The verdict: an active compound dosed before you drink it
Sulforaphane is an isothiocyanate formed when glucoraphanin, present in cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli or kale, meets the enzyme myrosinase [1]. The problem is well known: the molecule is unstable and degrades easily. A review published in 2023 in Food Science and Biotechnology notes that its formation depends on pH and enzymatic activity, and that it produces a nitrile with low biological activity under acidic conditions [1].
The usual workaround is to combine glucoraphanin, which is more stable, with myrosinase, then rely on conversion in the digestive tract. SulfoMax breaks with this logic. The powder combines a black kale extract (a source of glucoraphanin) with myrosinase derived from white mustard seed, plus vitamin C and potassium bicarbonate to create the right reaction conditions. You mix it with water, wait five minutes, and drink it.
For your product ranges, the change is operational: you are no longer selling a promise of conversion, you are selling a measured quantity. “There can be quite a wide gap between what should theoretically happen and what actually happens when you test it,” says Paul Eftang, CEO of Nootropics Depot.
Why move the reaction outside the gut now?
Formulation initially followed the classic route: protecting glucoraphanin and myrosinase until they reached the right conditions in the digestive tract. Enteric-coated capsules were the obvious starting point. Internal testing revealed issues ranging from leakage to complete failure, according to Eftang.
The team then asked the questions every formulator knows: how long does the capsule stay in the stomach, has the consumer eaten, how do variations in digestion affect the timing of release. They tested glucoraphanin and myrosinase under simulated gastric and intestinal conditions, then measured the sulforaphane formed.
“The more we did that work, the less attractive it became to rely on a capsule opening in exactly the right place, and then asking an enzyme, a substrate and the digestive environment to all cooperate,” explains Eftang. Hence the decision to take the reaction out of the body. For your R&D, the signal is clear: when physiological variability becomes too great, sulforaphane conversion is better locked in upstream than left to digestive chance.
What the science says about active myrosinase
The data underpinning this process comes from a Johns Hopkins University study published in 2015 in PLoS One [2]. The measured facts: glucoraphanin preparations without active plant myrosinase produce an average urinary recovery of sulforaphane and its metabolites of around 10% of the dose. With active myrosinase, this bioavailability rises to nearly 35-40%. And when conversion is carried out outside the body before ingestion, the already-formed sulforaphane reaches a bioavailability of around 90% [2].
Nutrimedia’s take: these figures explain the economic appeal of pre-conversion. You move from a highly variable 10% yield to a sulforaphane that is formed, measurable and stable over a few minutes. The study notes an important caveat, however: it involved small groups of volunteers and does not establish that all capsule formulations are less effective than pre-converted products. Active myrosinase in fact produced similar results in standard and enteric-coated capsules [2].
The decisive point for manufacturers remains quality control. Nootropics Depot tests the prepared product for the sulforaphane actually formed, via its partner laboratory Omnient Lab in Tempe, Arizona. The stated 27 mg measures the amount present in the glass, not the amount absorbed by the body.
Capsule or pre-conversion: which approach for which goal?
Each route has its own logic. The table below compares the options documented in the source material and the Johns Hopkins study.
| Criterion | Glucoraphanin alone (no myrosinase) | Glucoraphanin + active myrosinase (capsule) | Conversion outside the body (pre-converted) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average urinary recovery [2] | ~10% of the dose | ~35-40% of the dose | ~90% |
| Inter-individual variability | High (depends on microbiota) | Reduced | Low |
| Quality control point | Consumer’s gut | Gut + digestive conditions | Prepared product, measurable |
| Stability of the final active | Stable precursor | Stable precursor | Sulforaphane to be consumed within minutes |
| Stated dose measured or calculated | Calculated from glucoraphanin | Calculated | Measured on the product (27 mg/serving) |
No single row settles the matter. Pre-conversion wins on control and bioavailability, but requires immediate consumption and a powder format needing reconstitution. The active-myrosinase capsule remains relevant wherever logistics take priority.
Obstacles to address before adding pre-conversion to your specifications
The process does not transfer without trade-offs. Several concrete obstacles deserve naming.
- Demanding format. A powder that must be mixed and left to react for five minutes before drinking departs from the “one capsule, one glass of water” habit. Compliance and consumer experience become a marketing issue in their own right.
- Short stability window. The sulforaphane formed degrades. Consumption must follow preparation closely, which rules out ready-to-use formats stored for long periods.
- Cost of analytical control. Measuring the sulforaphane formed in the prepared product, rather than calculating it from glucoraphanin, requires laboratory capability. Nootropics Depot has brought this in-house via Omnient Lab.
- Regulatory proof for claims. Stating a quantity measured in the glass is not the same as stating absorption. Claim wording must remain precise to avoid conflating the dose formed with the bioavailable dose.
For your regulatory team, the nuance is central: the 27 mg describes the prepared product, not absorption by the body. Sulforaphane conversion outside the body standardises the input, not the physiological output.
What this shift redistributes for the brassica supply chain
Beyond a single product, Eftang describes a method. Development, he says, should inform other formulations “where the end result depends on factors like enzymes, stability, pH or dissolution.” The phrase worth remembering for your specifications: “We want to test the output, not just trust the inputs.”
For procurement and R&D leaders, this opens a new lens on all enzyme-dependent active ingredients. If an ingredient relies on a reaction that must occur at the right point in the digestive tract, the question “can we finalise it upstream and dose the result?” deserves to be asked before signing off on a specification.
The nutritional case remains compelling: a January 2026 study showed that supplementation with glucoraphanin, the precursor of sulforaphane, preserved cognitive function in seniors, particularly those with mild cognitive impairment [3]. If demand follows, dosing reliability will become a commercial argument as much as a technical imperative. One question remains open for your product lines: are you ready to test the output of your enzymatic actives, or will you keep selling the promise of a reaction that nobody measures?
References
- Men X, Han X, Oh G, et al. Plant sources, extraction techniques, analytical methods, bioactivity, and bioavailability of sulforaphane: a review. Food Sci Biotechnol. 2023;33(3):539-556. doi:10.1007/s10068-023-01434-7
- Fahey JW, Holtzclaw WD, Wehage SL, et al. Sulforaphane Bioavailability from Glucoraphanin-Rich Broccoli: Control by Active Endogenous Myrosinase. PLoS One. 2015;10(11):e0140963. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0140963
- Koe T. Broccoli sprouts’ bioactive shown to preserve cognitive function in seniors. NutraIngredients. 2026 (29 January).
FAQ
Why carry out sulforaphane conversion outside the body?
Because intestinal conversion is highly variable: around 10% urinary recovery without active myrosinase, according to the 2015 Johns Hopkins study published in PLoS One. Pre-converting outside the body allows the sulforaphane formed to be measured and the dose locked in upstream, rather than relying on digestive physiology.
What does the stated 27 mg of sulforaphane per serving actually mean?
This is the amount of sulforaphane measured in the laboratory in the prepared product after five minutes of reaction in water, according to Nootropics Depot. It is not a measure of absorption by the body: the dose describes the contents of the glass, not physiological bioavailability.
Does pre-conversion make myrosinase capsules obsolete?
No. The 2015 Johns Hopkins study involved small groups and does not establish that all capsules are less effective. Active myrosinase produced similar results in standard and enteric-coated capsules. The capsule format remains relevant when logistics and compliance take priority over dosage control.
What role does myrosinase play in sulforaphane formation?
Myrosinase is the enzyme that hydrolyses glucoraphanin, a stable precursor found in cruciferous vegetables, to release sulforaphane. Without active myrosinase in the preparation, conversion depends on gut microbiota, resulting in high variability and a yield of around 10% of the dose.
What industrial obstacles does a pre-converted format pose?
Three main ones: a powder format requiring reconstitution that departs from the capsule-and-water habit, a short stability window requiring prompt consumption after preparation, and the cost of analytical testing that measures sulforaphane formed in the prepared product rather than calculating it from the raw material.
Does pre-conversion change how health claims should be worded?
Yes, it demands precision. Stating a quantity measured in the glass is not the same as stating an absorbed dose. Claims must distinguish between sulforaphane formed and bioavailable sulforaphane to remain compliant and avoid misleading consumers.