Sulforaphane ameliorates cadmium induced hepatotoxicity through the up-regulation of /Nrf2/ARE pathway and the inactivation of NF-κB

•SFN effectivelly scavenges free radicals and ROS induced by cadmium.•Antioxidation and anti-inflammation contribute to the hepatoprotection of SFN.•SFN ameliorates Cd induced antioxidative stress by regulation of Nrf2/ARE pathway.•NF-κB inactivion by SFN mostly facilitates the up-regulation of Nrf2 signal.