Abstract
Currently, one of the central problems in cancer management is the relapse of disease following conventional treatments, yet few therapeutic agents targeting resistance and tolerance exist. Propolis is known as a healing agent since ancient times. Therefore, over time, its curative properties have kept the interest of scientists, thus leading permanently to investigations of its other possible undiscovered effects. In this context, current experiments were performed to establish the chemopreventive potential of propolis extract (PE) (1.05 mg/kg BW/day) in N-methyl-N-nitrosourea- (MNU-) induced rat mammary tumors. MNU-inoculated/PE-treated rats had tumors of different physical attributes compared with control rats MNU-inoculated. The number of developed tumors (mean 49% versus 100%), incidence (mean 49% versus 100%), multiplicity (1.8 versus 3.7 (p < 0.001)), tumor volume (mean 10 cm3 versus 16 cm3 (p < 0.001)), and weight of the tumor mass (mean 7.42 g versus 9.00 g (p < 0.05)) were noted. The numbers of grade I tumors recorded for MNU-inoculated rats were 24 (Group 1) and 7 (Group 2) for MNU-induced/PE-treated rats. In the serum of rats MNU-inoculated/PE-treated were found higher levels of antioxidative enzymes (SOD, CAT, and GPx) than in MNU-induced. Taken together, these data indicate that propolis could be a chemopreventive agent against MNU-induced mammary carcinogenesis.
Highlights
The human breast cancer and the canine mammary cancer are the most frequently detected malignancies in women and female dogs worldwide, in which, regardless of an intensive cancer control effort, it remains one of the main leading causes of cancer deaths [1, 2]
The chemical composition of propolis could be influenced by the geographical region and bee species which collect the raw material and produces it
The propolis extract (PE) was subjected to the spectrophotometric analysis for total flavones and flavonols content assessment by using the method based on aluminum chloride complex formation and the value obtained was 7:90 ± 0:32%
Summary
The human breast cancer and the canine mammary cancer are the most frequently detected malignancies in women and female dogs worldwide, in which, regardless of an intensive cancer control effort, it remains one of the main leading causes of cancer deaths [1, 2]. 50% to 60% resins and vegetable balsam, 30% to 40% bee wax, 5% to 10% essential and aromatic oils, 5% pollen grains, and 5% other substances as micronutrients or small amounts of vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, and E [12]. In these 5% of other substances, more than 300 bioactive molecules are present, between them being phenolic acids, flavonoids, diterpenoids, and triterpenoids [13]. Biological properties of propolis from different geographical regions could exert particular biological properties
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