Pure anthocyanins show effective chemoprevention towards tumorigenesis


Anthocyanin-rich extracts, as well as pure anthocyanins, have shown relatively more effective chemoprevention towards tumorigenesis at directly accessible targets such as gastrointestinal tract (oral, esophagus, colon, etc.) and skin, than other sites in animal models suggesting that the low absorption into the plasma limits their ability to exert protective effects on tissues that require delivery of nutrients through the blood.

Colon Cancer

Freeze-dried black raspberries were found to reduce azoxymethane (AOM)-induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF), colon tumors, and the level of urinary deoxyguanosine in male F344 rats. The chemoprotective activity of anthocyanin-rich extracts from bilberry, chokeberry, and grape was investigated by assessing multiple biomarkers of colon cancer in male F344 rats treated with AOM.

Total ACF were reduced significantly in colon tissues of rats receiving a diet enhanced with bilberry, chokeberry, and grape compared with the control group. The number of large ACF was also reduced in bilberry and chokeberry diet groups.

Rats fed with bilberry/grape anthocyanin-rich diets had lower COX-2 mRNA expression of gene. A significant reduction in fecal bile acids was observed and the levels of urinary 8-hydroxyguanosine were similar among rats fed different diets. Protective roles of anthocyanin-rich extracts from those fruits were shown in colon carcinogenesis and multiple mechanisms of action appear to be involved.

The possible chemopreventive effects of berry fruits (blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries) were compared with other fruit types (plums, mangoes, pomegranate, and watermelon) on AOM-induced ACF in F344 male rats. Among these fruits, blueberry and pomegranate contributed the most significant reductions in the formation of AOM-induced ACF. Anthocyanins have also been shown to inhibit the development of cancer in animals with hereditary predisposition to cancer.

Cyanidin 3-glucoside, the most abundant anthocyanin in berries, was investigated for the colorectal adenoma formation in ApcMin mice. Ingestion of cyanidin 3-glucoside reduced adenoma load dose-dependently. After supplementation of 0.3% of cyanidin 3-glucoside in the diet for 12 weeks, adenoma numbers were decreased by 45% compared to controls, suggesting that it could be a potential chemopreventive agent for human colorectal cancer.

Esophageal Cancer

Freeze-dried strawberries, freeze-dried black raspberries and freeze-dried blueberries were fed to F-344 rats in the diets before repeatedly treating with N-nitrosomethylbenzylamine (NMBA). At 30 weeks, strawberries and black raspberries were found to significantly inhibit NMBA-induced esophageal tumor multiplicity in a dosedependant manner in the rat esophagus.

Animals fed 5 and 10% freeze-dried strawberries and freeze-dried black raspberries in the diet after NMBA treatment significantly reduced tumor multiplicity by 38 and 31% for strawberries, 62 and 43 % for black raspberries.

Blueberries did not inhibit the initiation and progression of NMBA-induced tumorigenesis in the rat esophagus. A significant decrease in O6-methylguanine adducts was observed in the esophageal DNA of animals fed with strawberries or black raspberries, but not with blueberries.

Both freeze-dried strawberries and black raspberries appear to possess bioactive compounds for potential inhibition of both initiation and promotion/progression during NMBA-induced esophageal tumorigenesis. Both the anthocyanin-rich fraction and the ellagitannins-rich residue of black raspberries effectively reduced NMBA-induced tumors in the rat esophagus, suggesting anthocyanins and ellagitannins appear to be important for the chemopreventive effects of berries.

Legal Disclaimer

Our website is not responsible for the information contained by this article. Articleinput.com is a free articles resource thus practically any visitor can submit an article. However if you notice any copyrighted material, please contact us and we will remove the article(s) in discussion right away.

Note: This article was sent to us by: Ian H. Markus at 01132011

Related Articles

1. Clinical evaluation in humans
A comprehensive search was initiated for GHS-R related GPC-Rs. Overall, this search was undertaken to further elucidate the mechanism of action...

2. Regulation of synthesis and secretion
The original growth hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP), which was synthesised by Bowers and named GHRP-6, stimulates GH secretion in a relatively...

3. Identical effects on hydrolysis and secretion
Growth hormone secretagogues (GHSs) release growth hormone (GH) via both the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, and also stimulate ACTH and ...

4. Positive effect on human adenoma cells
As corticotroph adenomas are usually very small compared to other hormone-secreting adenomas, it is extremely difficult to study these tumours ...

5. Possible changes in the activity of arcuate neurones
The pulsatile pattern of growth hormone secretion from the anterior pituitary gland reflects a changing balance in the output of two hypothalam...

6. Neurones are neuroendocrine cells
The first recordings of changes in electrical activity following GH secretagogue administration were incorporated into a series of experiments ...

7. Acute effects on feeding behaviour
The discovery that the GH secretagogues activate NPY neurones led us to consider what is known about these neurones that might help explain wha...

8. A model of pituitary desensitization
Administration of GHS induces a rapid increase in plasma GH levels in a broad range of animal species i.e. rat, monkey, sheep, pig, chick, stee...

9. Fluctuations are organized into pulses
In all species studied thus far, including man, growth hormone (GH) secretion is pulsatile. Using sensitive GH assays and frequent blood sampli...

10. Hormonal therapy in obesity
The alterations in GH secretory pattern seen in both obesity and starvation underiine the importance of nutritional conditions in GH secretion....