Influence of apple pomace and its fractions on intestinal tumor development in APC Min/+ mice

Abstract

Consumption of apples has been demonstrated to lower the risk of chronic diseases due to the presence of bioactive components such as fiber and polyphenols. The aims of this study were to determine the effects of apple pomace, a major waste product of apple juice processing, and its fractions on tumor development in APCMin/+ mice. Mice were assigned to different treatment groups consisting of powdered AIN‐93G diet supplemented with apple pomace, apple juice, apple ethanol extract or apple residue. Mice consuming the apple juice‐containing diet had the fewest adenomas (P<0.05) in the small intestine and mice consuming apple residue the greatest number. No statistically significant differences in adenoma numbers were observed in the colon. However, male mice had significantly higher incidence of colonic adenomas (79.7%) than female mice (59.3%). In cecum, mice consuming diets containing apple juice had the smallest average adenoma size and mice consuming apple residue the greatest average adenoma size. These results demonstrate that fractions derived from apple pomace differentially influence intestinal adenoma development in APCMin/+ mice, but further research is required to determine the mechanisms for the observed effects. This research was supported in part by the Michigan Apple Committee.