title: Anticarcinogenic effects of an aqueous infusion of cloves on skin carcinogenesis.
abstract: Spices and flavouring agents are now receiving increasing attention as many of them have been shown to have anticarcinogenic properties. Cloves, sun-dried unopened flower buds from the plant Syzygium aromaticum L, are commonly used as a spice and food flavour. The present study was designed to investigate the chemopreventive action of aqueous infusion of cloves on 9,10-dimethyl benz(a)anthracene (DMBA) and croton oil induced skin carcinogenesis in Swiss mice. The results indicate protection against skin papilloma formation in a dose dependent manner. It has been shown that oral administration of aqueous infusions of clove at a dose of 100 microl/mouse/day not only delays the formation of papilloma but also reduces the incidence of papilloma as well as the cumulative number of papillomas per papilloma bearing mouse. Our observations suggest a promising role for cloves in restriction of the carcinogenesis process.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Cancer Chemoprevention, Chittarajan National Cancer Institute, 37 S.P. Mukherjee Road, Kolkata 700026, West Bengal, India. rmisti@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Sarmistha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.forename: Sukta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Das
mesh_terms: D015127:9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D002273:Carcinogens; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000187:drug effects*; D018890:Chemoprevention; D051379:Mice; D009374:Neoplasms, Experimental; D010212:Papilloma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D027842:Syzygium / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D010936:Plant Extracts; D015127:9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene