The potential preventive effect of dietary phytochemicals In Vivo

Abstract

Introduction Chemoprevention refers to using specific substances during oncogenesis. Curcumin and catechins are both polyphenol types of phytochemicals present in curcuma longa and green tea. The effect of curcumin is synergistic with epigallocatechin gallate, the most abundant polyphenol in tea. Aim To evaluate 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). The first group was used as a normal control group. The second group received the carcinogenic agent only. The other three groups received green tea, curcumin, and a combination of both, respectively. Flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemical assays were used to evaluate apoptosis, proliferation, and angiogenesis. ANOVA test was used to analyze the results between the study groups. Results The cells of the positive control group (B) resulted in 11.57% apoptosis. In the study groups, treatment of the cells with green tea (C), and curcumin (D) and both of them (E) showed increased apoptosis. The fluorescent image in group B showed an increase of the red fluorescence in the nucleus and cytoplasm of the squamous cell carcinoma cells while groups C, D, and E showed a 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.

Natural Products for Cancer Prevention and Interception: Preclinical and Clinical Studies and Funding Opportunities

“…In a study, curcumin combined with metformin in 4NQO induced the mouse model of oral cancer and significantly reduced tumor volume and improved overall survival ( p = 0.03) by downregulating cancer stem cell markers in the treated groups [ 41 ]. Using the hamster buccal pouch carcinoma model, Saleh et al demonstrated that the curcumin and green tea (EGCG) combination was superior to individual agents when treated for 18 weeks in inhibiting oral tumorigenesis and inducing apoptosis [ 42 ]. Similarly, this combination showed decreased proliferation and increased apoptotic indices in the dysplasia and oral SCC, suggesting that the combination efficacy is seen in the post-initiation stages of carcinogenesis, supporting the idea that this could be an effective cancer interception strategy [ 43 ].…”

Natural polyphenols: A protective approach to reduce colorectal cancer

“…The primary cause of cell cycle regulator failure in neoplastic cells is disparity in regulatory molecules. The constitutive functioning of transcription factors linked to positive regulation of proliferation and elevated cyclin levels characterize these cells [ 54 ].…”

Phytochemicals as Immunomodulatory Molecules in Cancer Therapeutics

“…Overall, various phytochemicals can differentially modulate various functions of innate and adaptive immune cells to overcome tumor growth, as shown in Table 4. Effective clinical trials of different phytochemicals, such as various alkaloids and terpenes, flavopiridol, curcumin, silibinin, and resveratrol for the treatment of different disease conditions, are ongoing [26,[190][191][192][193][194]. Various phytochemicals, not only in preclinical studies but also in several phases of clinical trials, have shown major positive outcomes.…”