Chemopreventive and metabolic effects of inulin on colon cancer development

Abstract

Prebiotics modulate microbial composition and ensure a healthy gastrointestinal tract environment that can prevent colon cancer development. These natural dietary compounds are therefore potential chemopreventive agents. Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats (4 months old) were experimentally treated with procarcinogen dimethylhydrazine to induce colon cancer development. The rats were randomly assigned to three groups: a control group (CG), a group treated with dimethylhydrazine (DMH), and a group given DMH and inulin, a prebiotic (DMH+PRE). The effects of inulin on the activities of bacterial glycolytic enzymes, short-chain fatty acids, coliform and lactobacilli counts, cytokine levels, and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and transcription nuclear factor kappa beta (NFκB) immunoreactivity were measured. Inulin significantly decreased coliform counts (p < 0.01), increased lactobacilli counts (p < 0.001), and decreased the activity of β-glucuronidase (p < 0.01). Butyric and propionic concentrations were decreased in the DMH group. Inulin increased its concentration that had been reduced by DMH. Inulin decreased the numbers of COX-2- and NFκB-positive cells in the tunica mucosae and tela submucosae of the colon. The expression of IL-2, TNFα, and IL-10 was also diminished. This 28-week study showed that dietary intake of inulin prevents preneoplastic changes and inflammation that promote colon cancer development.

Co-administration of a probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum LS/07 CCM7766 with prebiotic inulin alleviates the intestinal inflammation in rats exposed to N,N-dimethylhydrazine

“…Diet supplementation with L. plantarum and its combination with inulin suppressed NF-κB as well as iNOS and COX-2 protein expression in the cells of colon tissue. These findings are in agreement with our previous work where another prebiotic given to DMH exposed rats was able to inhibit NF-κB activation [31]. The mechanisms underlying anti-inflammatory effects of prebiotics on mucosa are less clear.…”

Cucurbitacin B inhibits cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in human osteosarcoma cells via modulation of the JAK2/STAT3 and MAPK pathways

“…Accumulating research data indicate that plant-derived compounds are much more effective in inhibiting cancer cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis (20). Phytochemicals are reported to elicit antitumor effects by inducing cellular defense system, antioxidant enzymes system and also inhibition of anti-cell growth signalling and anti-inflammatory pathways culminating in apoptosis and/or cell cycle arrest (21)(22)(23)(24).…”

Three Measurable and Modifiable Enteric Microbial Biotransformations Relevant to Cancer Prevention and Treatment

“…For example, in the digestive lumen in one animal model, the presence of β-glucuronidase increased the genotoxicity of heterocyclic amines by 300% 81 . This phenomenon may explain why prebiotics, such as inulin and non-digestible oligosaccharides, both reduce β-glucuronidase concentrations and protect against carcinogenesis in animal models 82 – 84 …”