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Antitumour activity of crocetin in accordance to tumor incidence, antioxidant status, drug metabolizing enzymes and histopathological studies

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Abstract

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer related mortality worldwide. Crocetin, saffron plant derivative known to play a role in cancer chemoprevention. In the present study the effects of crocetin was tested against lung cancer-bearing mice in both pre-initiation and post-initiation periods. Healthy male Swiss albino mice (6–8 weeks old) were used throughout the study. Experiment was designed with the treatment regimen of crocetin [20 mg/kg body weight dissolved in dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO)] for 4 weeks before (pre-initiation) and from 12th week after Benzo(a) pyrene B(a)p (50 mg/kg body weight) induced lung carcinoma(post-initation). The level of lipid peroxidation (LPO) and marker enzymes markedly increased in carcinogen administered animals, which was brought back to near normal by crocetin treatment. The activities of the enzymic antioxidants and glutathione metabolizing enzymes were decreased in B(a)p induced animals and increased upon drug treatment. Crocetin profoundly reverted back the pathological changes observed in cancerous animals. From the results crocetin proves to scavenge free radical and plays an important role in cellular function. Tumor incidence and histopathological studies proves crocetin is a potent antitumour agent.

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  1. Department of Medical Biochemistry, University of Madras, Taramani campus, Chennai, 600 113, India

    Dhanapal Sakthisekaran

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  1. Venkatraman Magesh
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  2. Jayapal Prince Vijaya Singh
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  3. Karupaya Selvendiran
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  4. Ganapathy Ekambaram
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Correspondence to Dhanapal Sakthisekaran.

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Magesh, V., Singh, J.P.V., Selvendiran, K. et al. Antitumour activity of crocetin in accordance to tumor incidence, antioxidant status, drug metabolizing enzymes and histopathological studies. Mol Cell Biochem 287, 127–135 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-005-9088-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-005-9088-0

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