Ameliorative effect of Ananus comosus peel on 7, 12 dimethylbenz(α)anthracene induced mammary carcinogenesis with reference to oxidative stress

Abstract

To Ananus comosus (A. comosus), has demonstrated a wide variety of biological activities which make it a good plant source for the treatment of many oxidative stress mediated diseases. The present study was aimed to evaluate therapeutic potential by assaying the activities of oxidative stress parameters in 7, 12 dimethylbenz(α)anthracene induced breast cancer rats. Animals were divided into five groups of six animals. Group I served as control, group II induced mammary carcinogenesis by 7, 12 dimethylbenz(α)anthracene, group III and IV are treatment groups (plant extract 250 mg/kg body weight and standard drug 10 mg/kg body weight) and group V served as animals treated with plant extract alone. All the animals were sacrificed after 30 days treatment and breast tissues are used for the analysis of protein content, enzymic and non-enzymic antioxidants using standard protocols. The oral administrations of ethanolic peel extract of A. comosus (250 mg/kg body weight) to breast cancer bearing rats for 30 days demonstrated a significant (P<0.05) increased in body weight, tissue weight, protein content, enzymatic and non enzymatic levels. The altered activities of lipid peroxidation and tumor weight in breast tissue of control and experimental cancer bearing rats were significantly (P<0.05) were reverted to near normal levels by the administration of ethanolic extract suggesting that the extract have quenching capacity against free radicals thereby exhibiting anticancer potential of A. comosus in breast cancer bearing rats. Thus, modulatory effects of A. comosus on attenuating the lipid peroxidation and upregulation of oxidative stress key enzymes like enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, protein content afford a pledge for widespread use for the treatment of breast cancer in the future.