Inhibition of Colon Carcinogenesis by Non-nutritive Constituents in Foods.

Abstract

In addition to mutagens and/ or carcinogens many modulators in carcinogenesis exist in our environment. Some of them are contained in our regular foods and therefore dietary factors play a role in the development of some types of cancers including colon cancer. There are still many unknown constituents and/ or factors in foods that could either enhance or reduce the possibilities for developing cancer. Recent research indicated that in addition to the macro- and micronutrients, many common foods contain nonnutritive components, belonging to different chemical groups, that may protect against certain type of cancer including colon neoplasm. These chemicals are knows as “chemopreventive agents”. The mode of action of most chemopreventive agents is still unknown, although many of them are antioxidants. With increasing the incidence of colon cancer rising certainly, there is an ever increasing need to determine the most effective means to prevent colon cancer and to understand the mechanism(s) underlying successful prevention. Previous studies in our laboratory demonstrated protective effects of several naturally occurring and synthetic compounds against rat colon tumorigenesis. This article will introduce our recent studies in search for the chemopreventive effects of some flavonoids and other naturally occurring products in edible plants on colon carcinogenesis.