Synergistic Chemopreventive Effect of Medicinal Plants against Azoxymethane‐induced Oxidative Stress and Colon Carcinogenesis

Abstract

BackgroundOxidative stress plays an essential role in the development of different types of cancer malignancy, including colon cancer. The protective effect of different medicinal plants against oxidative stress‐mediated colon carcinogenesis has been reported, yet their synergistic effect was not elucidated.ObjectiveThis study investigated the antioxidant potential properties of a mixture of five medicinal plants (Rumex vesicarius, Oxalis corniculate, Pteropyrum scoparium, Moringa peregrine, and Caralluma arabica) in a rat model of colon cancer.MethodsAzoxymethane (AOM), a colon selective carcinogenic agent, was used to induce colon cancer in Sprague Dawley rats which were divided into 4 groups, n=10, (Control, AOM‐injected group and the other two groups were fed ad‐libitum for 12 weeks a diet supplemented with a mixture of the five different medicinal plants in the presence or absence of AOM injection). By the end of the experiment, all rats were sacrificed; colon tissues were excised and homogenized for biochemical measurements of: oxidative DNA damage, reduced glutathione, and total antioxidant capacity. Histopathological examination for colon tissues was also examined for aberrant crypt foci (ACF) development.ResultsAOM induced oxidative stress in the colonic milieu as evidenced by high level of oxidizing DNA, glutathione depletion, and impairment of cellular total antioxidant capacity. In addition, AOM increased the formation of ACF. Meanwhile rats fed with the five medicinal plants mixture showed a protective effect against the AOM‐induced oxidative insult and attenuated the colonic ACF formation.ConclusionThis study revealed that the examined medicinal plants provided a colon specific protection and might be used as a functional dietary bioactive agent in the context of primary prevention of colon cancer.Support or Funding InformationSultan Qaboos university Funding, Internal grant (IG/AGR/FOOD/01/17)This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.