title: A comparison of the anticancer activities of dietary beta-carotene, canthaxanthin and astaxanthin in mice in vivo.
abstract: The anticancer activities of beta-carotene, astaxanthin and canthaxanthin against the growth of mammary tumors were studied in female eight-wk-old BALB/c mice. The mice were fed a synthetic diet containing 0, 0.1 or 0.4% beta-carotene, astaxanthin or canthaxanthin. After 3 weeks, all mice were inoculated with 1 x 10(6) WAZ-2T tumor cells into the mammary fat pad. All animals were killed on 45 d after inoculation with the tumor cells. No carotenoids were detectable in the plasma or tumor tissues of unsupplemented mice. Concentrations of plasma astaxanthin (20 to 28 mumol/L) were greater (P < 0.05) than that of beta-carotene (0.1 to 0.2 mumol/L) and canthaxanthin (3 to 6 mmol/L). However, in tumor tissues, the concentration of canthaxanthin (4.9 to 6.0 nmol/g) was higher than that of beta-carotene (0.2 to 0.5 nmol/g) and astaxanthin (1.2 to 2.7 nmol/g). In general, all three carotenoids decreased mammary tumor volume. Mammary tumor growth inhibition by astaxanthin was dose-dependent and was higher than that of canthaxanthin and beta-carotene. Mice fed 0.4% beta-carotene or canthaxanthin did not show further increases in tumor growth inhibition compared to those fed 0.1% of each carotenoid. Lipid peroxidation activity in tumors was lower (P < 0.05) in mice fed 0.4% astaxanthin, but not in those fed beta-carotene and canthaxanthin. Therefore, beta-carotene, canthaxanthin and especially astaxanthin inhibit the growth of mammary tumors in mice; their anti-tumor activity is also influenced by the supplemental dose.
authors.affiliation: Department Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman 99164-6320, USA. boonchew@wsu.edu
authors.forename: B P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Chew
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: T S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Wong
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016644:Canthaxanthin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000187:drug effects; D004032:Diet; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D005260:Female; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation / Q000187:drug effects; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis; D024341:Xanthophylls; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D000975:Antioxidants; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D024341:Xanthophylls; D019207:beta Carotene; D016644:Canthaxanthin; C005948:astaxanthine