The Potential Preventive Effect of Dietary Phytochemicals in Vivo

Abstract

Introduction: Chemoprevention refers to using specific substances during oncogenesis. Curcumin and catechins are both a polyphenol type of phytochemicals presents in curcuma longa and green tea. The effect of curcumin is synergistic with epigallocatechin gallate, the most abundant polyphenol in tea. Aim: To evaluates and compares the chemopreventive effect of both green tea and curcumin (each individually and in combination) through induction of hamster buccal pouch carcinoma. Materials and Methods: Squamous cell carcinoma was chemically induced in fifty Syrian golden hamsters divided into 5 groups (10 each). Results: The cells of positive control group (B) resulted in 11.57% apoptosis. In the study groups, treatment of the cells with green tea (C), curcumin (D) and both of them (E) showed increase apoptosis. The fluorescent image in group B showed increase of the red fluorescence in the nucleus and cytoplasm of the squamous cell carcinoma cells while in group C, D and E showed decrease of the red fluorescence in the nuclei of the squamous cell carcinoma cells. The microvessel density was higher in the positive control group as compared to the treated groups. Conclusions: The combination of green tea and curcumin has a significant chemopreventive effect against oral carcinogenesis.